Anthology Magazine issue 15 Summer 2021

SUMMER 2021 #15

€5.95 £4.95

ARTS

HISTORY

LIFESTYLE

FASHION

The Great Book of Ireland • Frederic William Burton

Sisters at War • Turkish Aid to Ireland During the Great Hunger

Interiors: The Irish Kitchen • The Great Unknown

Irish Designers Making Waves Overseas • Don O’Neill: A Retrospective

Ros Woodham photography

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From the editor

anthology publishing

Limerick, Ireland editor Edel Cassidy art editor Ros Woodham designer Lynne Clark

Welcome to Anthology Summer Issue 2021

copyeditor Richard Bradburn contributors

Tom Weber Louise Higgins Kevin Dundon Dolores O’Donoghue Sinead McCoole Lisa O’Brien Ros Woodham advertising

Jean Anderson advertising@anthology-magazine.com subscriptions

Anthology is a quarterly publication with a focus on beautiful features and imagery from Ireland and around the world. To subscribe and avail of delivery direct to your door, visit anthology-magazine.com or email: info@anthology-magazine.com.

Full details on p. 71. issn: 2009-9150

W&G Baird Commerical Printers UK & Ireland wgbaird.com The publisher accepts no responsibility for any of the views expressed or claims made by contributors or advertisers.

While every care is taken to ensure accuracy of information contained in Anthology, we do not accept responsibility for any errors or matters arising from same. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without written permission from the publishers.

I

t’s lovely to be back! Due to unavoidable delays and restrictions, a new issue of Anthology is long overdue. To all who have been looking forward to its release, I would like to thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Let’s hope that this season’s ‘collection of beautiful experiences’ will have been worth the wait!

For this issue, the theme is ‘Everything Irish’, from travel and fashion to art and culture, with a focus on appreciating what’s to enjoy on our own doorstep. Not forgetting our Irish diaspora, the fashion pages are a celebration of the achievements of Irish designers who emigrated and have achieved global recognition for their work.

To mark the centenary of the events of 1921, we take a look at the role of women during Ireland’s revolutionary years, honouring those who endured imprisonment, hunger strike and separation from their families and friends for their beliefs.

Voted Ireland’s favourite painting in 2012, Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs by the County Clare artist, Frederic William Burton, features on the front cover. We are also proud to tell the story of Leabhar Mór na hÉireann, The Great Book of Ireland, an extraordinary modern vellum manuscript, which

celebrates Irish creativity at its best.

Wishing all our readers good health and happiness. Enjoy your summer safely!

Edel Cassidy

ON THE COVER

Cover image is a detail of Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs

by Frederic William Burton. It was voted by the Irish public as Ireland’s favourite painting in 2012. Full details on p. 32

12

contents 12 ART + CULTURE 22 TRAVEL 22

32

56

32 A RT

Leabhar Mór na hÉireann

Magical and Mystical

Frederic William Burton

38 ARCHITECTURE

Squaring the Circle

42 ARCHITECTURE

Palladianism in Ireland

46 ARCHITECTURE

James Hoban

48 INTERIORS

Past to Present

56 INTERIORS

The Irish Kitchen

60

60 HISTORY

Sisters at War

68 HISTORY

Dia Do Bheatha Sultan

72 FASHION

Don O’Neill: A Retrospective

82 FASHION

Abroad Spectrum

90 MUSIC 92 FOOD

72

Performance of a Lifetime A Taste of Home

94 HEALTH

The Great Unknown

96 POETRY

Her Dul Abhaile Jar

82 92

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An extraordinary modern vellum manuscript in a single volume which is comprised of the original work of Ireland’s finest poets and artists, produced in Dublin between 1989 and 1991

12 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

words edel cassidy

Leabhar M

+ culture

The Great Book of Ireland

ar Mór na hÉireann

art

Page 124. Sleeping Partners by Heather Brett is accompanied by the artwork of Pauline Bewick. ©University College Cork

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 13

T

top left: Detail of the spine of the book. top right: Detail of the Sardinian goatskin binding. above and left: The Pressure Box made from Elm and Bog Oak from Thoor Ballylee. © University College Cork

14 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

heo Dorgan and Gene Lambert, architects of The Great Book of Ireland (Leabhar Mór na hÉireann), came up with the idea of creating a saleable artefact which would help to fund the development plans of two charitable-status arts organisations in Ireland. The beneficiaries were to be Poetry Ireland (Éigse Éireann), to enable the building of a National Poetry Centre, and Clashganna Mills Trust, now a subsidiary of Rehab, for their work promoting the interests of people with disabilities in the arts. Artists, poets and composers were asked to contribute in their own medium what they believed represented their hopes, fears, dreams or imaginings in the Ireland of that particular time.

What was to emerge was a project of breath-taking ambition and scale. The pages combine both visual and verbal elements, where poets and artists collaborated to unite two distinct yet related modes of creative expression. The work of calligrapher Denis Brown acts to blend the overall design. Every individual page of The Great

art

Book is a unique artefact in itself, often multi-layered or palimpsestic in nature.

Anthony Cains, Head of Conservation at Trinity College Dublin, who had many years of experience looking after the collections at TCD Library, including The Book of Kells, agreed to make and bind the book. The cover was made from a Sardinian goatskin which he had acquired when working on the restoration of manuscripts in the Florentine libraries.

Finally, a pressure box made from an elm tree from Thoor Ballylee, former home of William Butler Yeats, with bog oak detail, was made by master craftsman Eric Pearse. A silver clasp for the box was made by metalsmith Brian Clarke.

On completion, the plan was to offer the book for sale to one of the small number of wealthy businessmen in Ireland at that time. The purchase would be made for the Irish state and the monies then divided between the two charities. For years following completion, the objective of securing a buyer remained frustratingly unrealised. An unused guard remains inside the first few leaves, intended perhaps as the location for a dedicatory page.

The Great Book of Ireland was introduced to the public at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 1991. Following this, there was very limited opportunity for it to be displayed and, in due course, it was placed in a bank vault on Dublin’s Grafton Street.

+ culture

Page 94. Jesus Appeared in Dublin in 1990 at the Port and Docks Board Site by Michael D Higgins is accompanied by the artwork of Vincent Browne. © University College Cork

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 15

Page 10. Sebastian Barry’s poem The Wood Pigeons and Theo Dorgan’s poem Swimming Down Deep to Before Time Began are accompanied by the artwork of David Crone. © University College Cork

16 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

In 2005, University College Cork indicated its interest in becoming the permanent custodian of The Great Book of Ireland by acquiring it with philanthropic support from the Cork University Foundation. This was to be achieved with the support of a number of enlightened philanthropic individuals and organisations so that the university would acquire the manuscript and associated rights.

As one of the top research universities in Ireland and globally, UCC has a strong commitment to artistic culture and its promotion and preservation.

The acquisition was announced at a launch on Friday 18th January 2013 in the Aula Maxima of University College Cork.

The occasion was marked by the attend-

ance of Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland, himself a contributor to the book.

Over sixty of the original contributors were present to celebrate the acquisition, including the poet Seamus Heaney, who movingly read his poem Punishment as part of the ceremony.

From April to July 2014, the book was the centrepiece of a public exhibition entitled Facing Pages in the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, UCC, where it was on display both physically and digitally.

The digital version allowed visitors to leaf through the precious book and magnify sections to an incredible level of detail.

Photographs of the day when work on the book was launched, 11 June 1989, when Seamus Heaney and John

art

+ culture

Montague made their marks, were also on display, along with a series of installed listening posts where visitors could hear poets reading their works.

University College Cork intends to continue to encourage, support and facilitate opportunities for public exhibition and further public engagement with the book and its contributors.

Such opportunities are dependent on the availability of financial resources, as each new project must be self-funding or supported philanthropically.

Page 37. Punishment

by Seamus Heaney is accompanied by the artwork of Barrie Cooke. ©University College Cork. right: Detail of page 37

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 17

Page 113. Gerry Murphy’s poem Part of a Poem to Celebrate Your Next Birthday is accompanied

by Charles Harper’s artwork. ©University College Cork

18 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

art

+ culture

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 19

Page 53. Samuel Beckett’s last poem, “da tagte es” is accompanied by Louis le Brocquy’s original portrait of the writer. ©University College Cork

Page 52. Opening.

The second ‘rest page’ of The Great Book by Paki Smith. ©University College Cork

20 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

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& Mystical

Magical

Ireland is well noted for its truly breathtaking natural landscape, and here are some of its most spectacular destinations

words dolores o ’ donoghue

W

ith the increasing popularity of staycations, many of us have come to realise that when in search of natural beauty, we need look no further than our own little country. Here are some of Ireland’s most spectacular and beautiful natural masterpieces that are well worth adding to the list when planning a day trip or a holiday at home.

22 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

travel

Dark Hedges Ballymoney, Co. Antrim This unique tunnel of ancient beech trees along the Bregagh Road, between Armoy and Stranocum in County Antrim, intertwine and entangle to create a spectacular blend of light and shadow.

The trees were planted by the Stuart family over 200 years ago along the entrance to their Georgian estate. The intention was to create a compelling landscape to impress visitors as they approached their home, Gracehill House, which was built by

James Stuart in c.1775. A popular filming location, the Dark Hedges are particularly associated with the HBO epic series Game of Thrones.

Although they remain a magnificent sight, in recent years a number of the trees have been uprooted by storms with approximately 90 of the original 150 trees still surviving. Since 2017 the road has been closed to traffic, due to visitor numbers causing possible damage and degradation to the site.

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 23

Lough Tay Ballinastoe, Co. Wicklow Lough Tay (Loch Té) or The Guinness Lake is nestled in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, in one of the most picturesque parts of the country.

The lake lies between the mountains of Djouce and Luggala on the Guinness Estate, which was owned by arts patron Garech Browne, the greatgreat-great-grandson of Arthur Guinness, until his death in 2018. The dark peaty water of the lake combined with the bright white sand on the northern side (which was imported by the Guinness family) makes it look like a pint of Guinness!

Although Lough Tay itself is on private property, a stunning view can be had from the Military Road above, at the junction with the Wicklow Way.

Cathedral Rocks Inis na Bró, Co. Kerry Resembling the outline of a giant Gothic structure with jagged spires of sandstone, the towering Cathedral Rocks are located on the northeast point of Inis na Bró, meaning ‘island of the quern’. The island is one of six that make up the magnificent Blasket archipelago, located off the most westerly tip of the Dingle Peninsula. It lies southwest of the Great Blasket and north of Inishvickillane. Until quite recently, these dramatic arches were only known to fishermen and passing sailors, but now many of the Blasket Island boat tours take passengers up close to the spectacular rock formation.

24 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

travel

Caves of Kesh Co. Sligo

photo val robus

The sixteen interconnecting limestone caves of Kesh are located on the side of Keshcorran Hill, near Keash Village in County Sligo, between Ballymote and Boyle. They can be reached by a 200m ascent up a steep grassy slope.

The visually striking caves are imbued with myth, legend and folklore. Cormac Mac Art, High King of Ireland, was reputedly stolen as an infant by a she-wolf and reared with her cubs in the caves. Diarmuid and Gráinne are said to have taken refuge here after their elopement, when being pursued by the furious, jilted Fionn MacCumhail. Another story tells how Fionn and his Fianna were captured and carried into the dark mysterious caves by three vicious hags.

Excavations have led to the recovery of animal bones and evidence of human habitation going as far back as the Neolithic Age.

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 25

26 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

travel

Dún Briste Downpatrick Head, Co. Mayo This lone sea-stack sits close to the edge of the cliffs at Downpatrick Head, an outcrop a few miles north of the village of Ballycastle in County Mayo, that offers a unique view of the Atlantic ocean. The sea-stack Dún Briste, meaning ‘broken rock’, is a spectacular sight as it is made up of layers upon layers of multi-coloured rock strata.

Legend has it that when the pagan chieftain Crom Dubh refused to convert to Christianity, St. Patrick hit the ground with his crozier and the stack was separated from the mainland, leaving the chieftain stranded there. Local historians, however, believe that Dún Briste was separated from the mainland in 1393 as a result of high seas.

Visitors to Downpatrick Head can also view the ruins of a church, a holy well and a stone cross marking the site of an earlier church founded by St. Patrick.

This outcrop was also the location of Lookout Post 64 EIRE, one of a series of 83 Lookout Posts placed at strategic points along the Irish coastline by the Irish Defence Forces to establish a Coast Watching Service during World War II. The marking ‘64 EIRE’ is still visible, and was an indication to American aircraft having crossed the Atlantic Ocean that they had reached neutral Ireland.

The Lighthouse Steps Arranmore Island, Co. Donegal

photo discover arranmore

Arranmore or Árainn Mhór is a wild and rugged island 5km off the coast of Donegal. The Arranmore Lighthouse is located at Rinrawros Point at the northwest corner of the island.

It has been in existence since 1859 having replaced the original lighthouse which was built in 1798 and de-commissioned in 1832.

These uniquely positioned 151 steps run down along the cliff from the lighthouse to a very sheltered little harbour on the shoreline.

They were originally constructed to enable oil deliveries to the lighthouse. Today these steps are a major attraction for tourists visiting the island. An ideal place for a good workout but be cautioned, extreme care is advised while climbing these steps!

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 27

photos ros woodham

Garinish Island Glengarriff, West Cork Also known as Ilnacullin, meaning ‘island of holly’, Garinish Island is blessed with a sheltered location and unique microclimate.

The 37-acre island is filled with stunning ornamental plants and beautiful flowers from many parts of the world. These exotic species are mixed with native Irish plants and remarkable garden structures including a Grecian temple, clock tower, Martello tower and Italian casita.

The island is just 1.5km off the coast of Glengarriff in West Cork, a village that has been famous as a holiday destination since the 1700s. Among its notable visitors was Violet l’Estrange, who spent summers there with her cousins, Countess Markievicz and Eva Gore-Booth.

Violet fell in love with the island and persuaded her husband, John Annan Bryce, to buy it from the British War Office in 1910.

Despite her husband being a British MP, Violet’s sympathies lay with the Irish and, in 1920, she was arrested in Holyhead after addressing a public meeting in Wales on the subject of ‘reprisals’.

Her two daughters were leaders in the Women’s Coronation Procession of suffragettes through London before King George V’s coronation in 1911. The Bryces’ son, Roland, bequeathed the island to the Irish nation in 1953.

The short ferry trip to the island offers an opportunity to take in some of the most spectacular scenery in Ireland and also the chance to observe and photograph a large colony of seals in their natural habitat.

28 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

Eccles Hotel & Spa An iconic destination once more

Glengarriff has been renowned for it’s mild and humid micro-climate for centuries. At the mouth of Bantry Bay and the base of the mountain, with shelter from prevailing winds, it’s a place that is picture perfect beautiful. It’s no wonder that Eccles Hotel & Spa was a destination health and wellness resort right through the Victorian era.

Visitors didn’t come here for faddish treatments, they knew better than that. They came for the sea air, the freshest seafood and locally grown produce, the warm West Cork welcome and Eccles classic style and eff ortless charm.

Today, General Manager David Manning and his team have brought the Eccles back to its glory days. Now a charming 4 star hotel and spa and acclaimed as one of ‘Ireland’s Fab 50 Places to Stay’ the Eccles has been sensitively restored and refurbished without losing the rich history and charm that makes this place so special.

“History and legend permeate every inch of this wonderful hotel. William Makepeace Th ackery, William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Maureen O’Hara were inspired, indulged and revitalised right here.

You can imagine them holding court at the bar or relaxing on the veranda as the light danced on the islands that stretch across the bay.”

With 3 luxurious treatment rooms, a deluxe double treatment suite overlooking Bantry Bay and the ultimate selection of VOYA organic Irish seaweed based therapies and experiences, you will be completely pampered in a world of your own at The Spa at Eccles Hotel. But that’s only part of this exciting story. In the kitchen, magic happens!

“...even if a dish reads simply on the menu, it will be a work of art on the plate.”

Lucinda O’ Sullivan, Sunday Independent

all the ingredients he needs to surprise and delight with every plate.

A destination wellness resort that drinks in the wild Atlantic sea air and eats all that is fresh and hyper local. A spa that fuses the restorative powers of the sea with holistic healing for body and soul. A location like no other with a view to die for. A sense of classic welcoming charm that wraps you in its warm embrace from the moment you arrive. All at the gateway to the beautiful Beara Peninsula, right on the water’s edge.

This is Eccles Hotel Glengarriff.

This is… where better begins.

Helmed by renowned Chef Eddie Attwell, the food celebrates the very best of what’s fresh, local and in season.

“There’s a lot of history at The Eccles Hotel.

In Victorian times it was a wellness spa with a seawater pool outside and glass houses covering the land at the back where they grew fruit and vegetables. I’m going back to that — like a rebirth of the hotel, back to where it started from. It’s nice to be able to tip the hat to what the hotel was 250 years before I ever got here. ” With a great team, an amazing environment and the best produce in Ireland, Eddie has

FOR BEST AVAILABLE RATES BOOK DIRECT! Call 027 63003 or visit www.eccleshotel.com

LEFT: Rising star Hazel Doupe, who plays Ingrid in Smother on location in Lahinch. ABOVE: Hilary Rose as Alannah and Dervla Kirwan as Val in a scene from Smother shot at Lahinch Coast Hotel

Lahinch: Reeling it in The Mid-West of Ireland has become an increasingly popular film location, with County Clare recently attracting a number of projects. Producers are drawn to the county’s unique landscapes that offer a number of diverse locations at close distances. Experienced and highly skilled film crew are readily available in the region, thanks to training initiatives introduced to coincide with the opening of Troy Studios in Limerick. Other factors working in the area’s favour are proximity to Shannon Airport and co-operative and enthusiastic local authorities and businesses.

Lahinch and the surrounding area set a beautiful and dramatic backdrop for the new Irish noir thriller Smother. Filming also took place in Liscannor, Spanish Point,

A popular holiday location since the 1700s, the picturesque village of Glengarriff is renowned for its spectacular landscape, the friendliness of locals and a variety of attractions. Since 1745 there has been a hostelry and accommodation on the site of the current Eccles Hotel & Spa, which commands panoramic views of Bantry Bay on West Cork’s Wild Atlantic Way. The hotel is just a two-minute stroll from Glengarriff Harbour, where boats depart to Garnish Island, or the village centre with quaint craft shops, cafes and pubs.

This charming four-star hotel is in a world of its own in Glengarriff, where the Gulf Stream has created a micro-climate leading to an abundant and exotic environment, perfect for exploring in the summer sunshine. Guests can avail of a range of 30 s u m m e r 2021 a n t h o lo gy

Fanore, Ennistymon and Lisdoonvarna.

Lahinch Coast Hotel was home to the cast and crew for the duration of the 12 week shoot. The local landscape plays a critical role in the drama and the hotel co-owners, John and Brid O’Meara, feel it

will lead to positive promotion of the area.

The hotel is a stone’s throw away from Lahinch’s famous Blue Flag beach and a short walk from the renowned championship links course Lahinch Golf Club, which hosted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in 2019. The famous Cliffs of Moher, unique Burren landscape, Aran Islands, Aillwee Cave and Loop Head are among the gems along the County Clare Coastline. www.lahinchcoasthotel.ie

Glengarriff: An Inspiring Destination

The Eccles Hotel overlooking Bantry Bay

amenities in the scenic surrounds of West Cork and the stunning Beara Peninsula; sea-kayaking in Glengarriff Bay, a hike up to Mount Gabriel, scuba-diving, golf and lots of lovely scenic excursions. After a day of wild Atlantic air, a soak in the outdoor hot tubs overlooking the bay is a must.

The Eccles has long been a retreat of choice for writers and poets and its famous guests have included William Makepeace Thackeray and George Bernard Shaw. William Butler Yeats was a regular visitor and the Presidential Suite is named after him.

Chef Eddie Attwell’s reputation draws visitors from far and wide to sample his amazing food at The Eccles, much of it grown either in the hotel gardens, foraged or sourced locally. www.eccleshotel.com

September midweek offers From €99 per night

Four Star Hotel in Lahinch, just a stroll from Lahinch Beach and Lahinch Golf Club. Enjoy full use of Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool and so much to discover on Clare’s stunning Wild Atlantic Way. Stringent Covid Safety measures in place for guests safety.

Recommended by Georgina Campbell’s Ireland Guide 2021

Lahinch Co. Clare T: +353 (0) 65 7081100 E: info@lahinchcoasthotel.ie W: www.lahinchcoasthotel.ie

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Frederic William Burton The County Clare artist behind Ireland’s favourite painting, whose work slipped into obscurity shortly after his death in 1900

words edel cassidy

F

rederic William Burton (1816–1900) is an artist held in special esteem by the National Gallery of Ireland and its visitors. Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs is one of the Gallery’s best-loved works. It was voted by the Irish public as Ireland’s favourite painting in 2012 from among ten works shortlisted by critics. Part of its special status at the Gallery lies with the unusual conditions for viewing it: installed in its own cabinet, the doors are opened only four times a week for an hour at a time. Keeping it otherwise in darkness has helped preserve its luminosity and exquisite colours. The restricted access to it has also heightened its mystique. Burton, who worked almost exclusively on paper, was not limited to this one artwork and the Gallery is fortunate in possessing large holdings of his works.

Burton was born in April 1816 and his early years were spent in County Clare.

Clifden House, Corofin, was the seat of the Burton family from the late eighteenth into the nineteenth century. They were High Sheriffs and Justices of the Peace in the county. His childhood was plagued by ill health and he also suffered an injury to his right arm that resulted in his painting with his left hand.

Encouraged by his father, Burton undertook artistic training in Dublin and 32 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

became an associate member of the RHA in 1837, at the age of twenty-one, and a full member two years later. His reputation for fine modelling in pen, ink and chalks, combined with his delicate brushwork in watercolour on ivory and paper, ensured his early success as a miniaturist and portrait painter.

He was spotted by the topographical artist, antiquarian and music collector George Petrie, when copying a painting in a Dublin gallery. The two

John Chancellor’s Photo Portrait of Frederic William Burton.

This portrait of Burton was made in the studio of the photographer, John Chancellor, who operated on Dublin’s Sackville Street Lower between 1862 and 1923.

art

men became very friendly and Petrie influenced Burton’s mind and art for a time. Between 1839 and 1841 Burton visited the west of Ireland with Petrie and became captivated by the people and wild landscape of Connemara.

In the early 1840s, Burton travelled to Germany for a prolonged stay. He based himself mainly in Munich and also spent a year in the medieval city of Nuremberg. A fluent German speaker,

he mixed in artistic circles and was a member of the Munich Art Association.

His travels in Bavaria, the Austrian Tyrol and other European countries are recorded in his watercolours. His sketches and paintings of local people and the Alpine landscapes inspired the colourful paintings he created and exhibited to great acclaim over the following decade.

Burton was profoundly influenced by his European experience. The time

Faust’s First Sight of Marguerite 1857 Watercolour with white highlights on paper Singled out by The Art Journal as ‘an ambitious picture, in execution beyond praise’, this watercolour depicts a scene from Goethe’s play, Faust. In the poet’s tragic drama, Faust’s soul is the subject of a bargain between God and the evil spirit Mephistopheles. The crucial scene depicted in Burton’s intricately detailed and richly coloured watercolour is the moment when Faust encounters the innocent Marguerite in an arcaded street. Mesmerised by her beauty, his seduction of the young maiden leads to her death and Faust is left to wallow in misery and self-loathing.

Exhibited at the Old Watercolour Society in 1857, The Atheneum praised its ‘pure tones, firm touch, rich colour and the shy and innocent loveliness of Margaret’s face’. Burton himself felt this work was significant, including it in further exhibitions in 1862 and 1872.

he spent studying the collections and developing a familiarity with great art in public and private collections proved beneficial to his later career in London.

Moving to London in 1858, he came in contact with the Pre-Raphaelite circle, notably Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais and Ford Madox Brown.

He drew inspiration from their approach to painting and was interested in their preoccupation with beauty and with storytelling inspired by literary, religious and medieval subjects. He joined organisations such as the Hogarth Club, founded by Rossetti and Madox Brown. In 1865 he purchased Rossetti’s Salutation of Beatrice, revealing his strong admiration for the poet and artist.

In 1868, Burton was commissioned to paint the portrait of Miss Mary Palliser of Comeragh House, County Waterford, during which they became betrothed.

He was not wealthy at the time, and

A Bavarian Peasant Girl Graphite, watercolour and gouache on paper This Bavarian girl with her fruit basket may be Study of a Young Girl of Oberfranken exhibited at the Old Watercolour Society in 1862. Between 1852 and 1859, Burton was a member of the Kunstverein München (Artists Association Munich), a group that enabled painters to meet, exhibit and sell their work. Although the Kunstverein promoted the sale of paintings to local collectors, it does not appear that Burton sold much work in Germany. He tended to exhibit and sell his work in London.

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 33

The Aran Fisherman’s Drowned Child 1841 Watercolour on paper Burton was twenty-five when he painted this major work. The tragic scene draws on his knowledge of the people of the west of Ireland, their customs and traditions. A grief-stricken father has placed his dead child, hair still wet, on his wife’s lap, as the community gather to sympathise and mourn. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1842 to great acclaim, Burton’s dramatisation of the subject romanticises the event yet also serves as a historical record of a traditional way of life that no longer exists.

34 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

it appears that he decided to postpone marriage plans until his financial circumstances changed. His brothers, Edward and Rev. Robert Burton, both died young and the artist undertook to fund the education of Robert’s many children. One of these children, Isabella Julia (Burton) Gifford was to be the

art

mother of the artist Grace Gifford, who married Joseph Plunkett before he was executed in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising. Burton and Mary never married, and she died of pneumonia in 1879.

In 1874, at the age of fifty-eight, Burton was offered the Directorship of the National Gallery, London, by Prime Minister Gladstone. On his appointment he ceased painting and dedicated himself to running Britain’s premier public art gallery. He oversaw extensions

to the building on Trafalgar Square, improved public access, lent paintings to museums around the country and began a campaign to glaze all works. In 1889 he published an updated catalogue of the collection. Between 1874 and 1894, he acquired over 500 paintings. He is celebrated for important acquisitions including Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks, Raphael’s Ansidei Madonna, Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, Anthony van Dyck’s Equestrian Portrait of Charles V,

A Venetian Courtesan 1873–1874 Watercolour, gouache, black chalk, pastel and graphite on paper Burton’s richly coloured final painting displays an affinity with Venetian Renaissance painting which also inspired the later work of the Pre-Raphaelites. Burton’s emphasis on the angel-wing style puffed sleeve recalls paintings by Titian and Veronese. According to Sir Walter Armstrong, former director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Burton was working on this painting when he received Gladstone’s offer of the Directorship of the National Gallery, London.

Diego Velázquez’s Philip IV of Spain, and Hans Holbein’s Ambassadors.

His interest in Ireland remained strong, including his friendship with Lady Gregory. When gifting her some early drawings that he made in Connemara and Clare, he remarked nostalgically that ‘the sketches of that happy time are in your keeping’. In 1900, during his final illness, he told Lady Gregory, ‘My best joys have been connected with Ireland.’ He died on 16 March 1900 and his remains were returned from London, as he wished, to be buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin.

His life and work were commemorated in an exhibition in 1900 in the National Gallery of Ireland, organised

by Director Sir Walter Armstrong, his

Paddy Conneely (d.1850), A Galway Piper 1841 Graphite and watercolour on paper Burton admired the Galway piper Paddy Conneely, portrayed here playing his uilleann pipes. Painted for George Petrie, who collected traditional music and had met Conneely to transcribe his music in 1839 and 1840. On one of these occasions Burton painted this wonderful portrait.

Petrie was editor of The Irish Penny Journal and featured a leading article on 3 October 1840, entitled ‘Paddy Conneely, The Galway Piper’, which was illustrated by an engraving of this watercolour.

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 35

Helen Faucit (subsequently Lady Martin) (1817-1898), Actress c.1845 Watercolour on paper In 1845, actress Helen Faucit’s Dublin performance as Antigone in Sophocles’ Greek tragedy of the same name was hailed as a tour de force in Irish theatrical circles. Like many of his compatriots, Burton was captivated by Faucit’s beauty and intelligence. He portrayed her as Sophocles’ heroine, wearing a Greek chiton, her costume in the play. In 1851 Faucit married Sir Theodore Martin, biographer of Prince Albert, who commissioned this likeness. In later years the couple became close friends with Burton.

Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs 1864 Watercolour and gouache on paper The subject is taken from a medieval Danish ballad translated by Burton’s friend Whitley Stokes in 1855, which tells the story of Hellelil, who fell in love with her personal guard Hildebrand. Her father disapproved of the relationship and ordered her seven brothers to kill Hildebrand who, when attacked, kills six of them. Hellelil intervenes to save her youngest brother, who then imprisons her, tortures her and sells her into slavery, and Hildebrand dies of his wounds.

The painting depicts a moment when the couple meet fleetingly on the stairs, as Hildebrand passionately seizes Hellelil’s arm and embraces it. In the words of George Eliot, ‘The face of the knight is the face of a man to whom the kiss is a sacrament.’

Burton’s watercolour reflects the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites in its rich colour and romanticism. Hellelil’s deep blue dress colour and slightly curved torso are clearly reminiscent of Millais’ Mariana (1851).

Whitley Stokes’ sister, Margaret, bequeathed the painting to the National Gallery Ireland in 1900. It was voted by the Irish public as Ireland's favourite painting in 2012.

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nephew Henry Bindon Burton and his lifelong friend, Margaret Stokes. Yet within a few years of his death, Burton’s contributions as an artist faded into obscurity.

A major exhibition of his work, curated

by Marie Bourke in 2017, and Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs being declared Ireland’s favourite painting in 2012, has encouraged a fresh appreciation of this outstanding master.

The National Gallery of Ireland and the Irish people are indebted to Margaret Stokes and Annie Callwell for leaving the Gallery many of Burton’s important paintings. Some of Burton’s descendants have also gifted works that have strengthened the Gallery’s holdings.

Here are featured just some of the highlights of the collection at the National Gallery of Ireland.

STOCKIST OF FARROW & BALL PAINT & WALLPAPER

Squaring the Circle Villa La Rotonda, the Palladian masterpiece that has inspired some of the world’s most famous buildings words and photos tom weber

F

opposite: The central circular hall covered by a domed vault 38 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

or over a millennium, the Most Serene Republic of Venice (La Serenissima) was a wealthy, majestic and innovative maritime power. A leader in trade and diplomacy between Europe and the Orient, Venice uniquely bridged the social, political and cultural divide between the two geographies.

Sadly, like all great powers, the Republic lost its strength, alliances fell apart and, while the rest of maritime Europe headed west following the discovery of the New World, La Serenissima stayed close to home. But in its heyday, between the 16th and 18th centuries, when the Lion of St. Mark roared and everyone listened, the doges and aristocrats built splendid Venetian villas on their estates in the countryside of the Republic.

When the last coat of paint finally dried and the final fresco was unveiled, there were over 4,300 Venetian villas dotting the landscape, monumental agricultural centres of architectural fame filled with great art that collectively became known as Civiltà delle Ville Venete (Civilisation of the Venetian Villas).

A particular group of these estates were designed by Maestro Andrea Di Pietro della Gondola, better known as Palladio, one of the most influential individuals in the history of Western architecture.

This collection of villas, now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, represents a distinct architectural style known as Palladianism – a neoclassical interpretation of the ancient temples of Greece and Rome – which spread like wildfire around Europe, including Ireland and the UK, and eventually reached North America.

Of all the iconic buildings, churches, residences and monuments across the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy that bear the imprint of Palladio, there is one that fully encapsulates the Maestro’s vision of an architectural design and associated lifestyle: Villa Almerico Capra, better known as La Rotonda.

architecture

below: (Top) Lion of Saint Mark, the symbol of the Venetian Republic; (Middle) Statue of Andrea Palladio in Vicenza; (Bottom) The exterior of Villa Almerico Capra, better known as La Rotonda.

Considered Palladio’s masterpiece, La Rotonda stands proudly on top of Collina San Sebastiano, a small terraced hill on the outskirts of Vicenza along the Riviera Berica.

Commissioned by Paolo Almerico – a prelate of the Papal Court in Rome, an intellectual, a poet and a member of a refined cultural circle – Palladio set to work on Almerico’s retirement home in 1567 and completed La Rotonda in 1571.

After Almerico’s death, ownership was passed to his son Virginio, who then sold it in 1591 to Odorico and Mario Capra, two brothers of a noble family of Vicenza.

La Rotonda changed hands once more when the Valmarana family of Venice took ownership in 1911, and it has remained with them for safe-keeping ever since.

Not long ago, as a resident of Vicenza, I was standing inside the entry gate of this world-renowned landmark, all set for a private tour with one of the owners and the person most responsible for the management and upkeep of the Palladio’s pride and joy: Niccolò Valmarana.

Perhaps the best known and certainly one of the most majestic of the Palladiodesigned villas of the Veneto, La Rotonda has a unique temple-like feel that sets it apart. As Niccolò points out, ‘The central round hall, with its impressive domed vault, is framed outside by four, equally-balanced and identical façades, each accented by six Ionic columns that support the airy porticos and wide steps.’

Inside, I attempt to grasp the genius of Palladio, and the precision workmanship of his army of artisan craftsmen. The raising of the villa-temple is all Palladio, but many of the interior decorations – frescos by father-son painters Giambattista and Alessandro Magnaza and Frenchman Louis Dorigny, stuccoes

by Agostino Rubini, and ornate marble fireplaces by Ottaviano Ridolfi and Rubini – along with the large barchessa (storage barn) fronting the villa and the wall surrounding it (both designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi), were added after Palladio and La Rotonda’s original owner, Almerico, had left this world. According to Niccolò, it’s doubtful that Palladio would have approved of the ‘upgrades’ to his original design, dismissing them instead as being too over-the-top.

The symbolic centrepiece of La Rotonda’s interior is, believe it or not, a decorative air-duct cover on the floor, directly underneath the frescoed cupola. It is here, on this ornate spot, that La Rotonda’s most honoured guests, noteworthy scholars, intellectuals, writers, poets, artists, nobles or politicos would be

architecture

left: A winter’s scene at Villa La Rotonda; below: Pedestrian gate entryway into the grounds of Villa La Rotonda

positioned to meet those who came to admire and applaud their achievements.

As Niccolò explains, ‘Being placed on this ‘pedestal’ was quite an honour for the select few, and indicated, at least for the moment, that they were standing symbolically at the centre of the known universe with all eyes upon them.’

Built without a traditional foundation, La Rotonda has stood the test of time thanks to twenty-six wide arched columns that gracefully flex their muscles underneath the piano terra (ground floor).

Speaking of floors, the one that covers the entire main hall is called pastellone, a mixture of brick dust, lime and red marble. Fitted in a continuous-flow application and hand trowelled by artisan installers centuries ago, it is still in pristine condition as if it were laid down just yesterday. This is because it is fed twice a year with a thorough coating of raw linseed oil which is absorbed into the pavement to protect it from cracking, and which also gives it its illustrious shine. It’s believed, but not confirmed, that raw eggs were initially used to feed the floors. If true, an awful lot of hens must have worked overtime.

The current state of La Rotonda dates back to 1976 when the Valmarana family put in place a rigorous program of continuous maintenance, restoration and preservation. ‘It’s a labour of love with equal parts of the heart and mind,’ Niccolò offers. ‘The heart, to ensure that we remain passionate in preserving the Maestro’s efforts just as they were centuries ago, and the mind, to ensure that the property is well managed and presentable for all the world to see.’

The gates of La Rotonda are open to visitors – nearly 40,000 annually – most of the year, on various days of the week and at varying times, for group or private tours. And, if the villa happens to be closed when you arrive, you can still see it from afar by peering through the entry gate to get a glimpse, or by looking up from the road down below. Either way, it’s just how the villa was originally intended to be viewed and admired.

Ever since that first step was taken across the threshold back in the 16th century, poets and artists, sovereigns and political leaders, scholars and art historians, travellers and tourists have visited Palladio’s masterpiece and marvelled.

Still today, almost 450 years later, La Rotonda remains a place of architectural beauty that continues to inspire, even while the Maestro sleeps.

above: (Top) Red roses ablaze alongside one of the four colonnaded entryways; (Middle) Decorative air-duct cover inside Villa La Rotonda; (Bottom) Palladio’s architectural drawing of Villa La Rotonda ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 41

Russborough House, which is situated near the Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow

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architecture

Palladianism

in Ireland

Architecture inspired by Andrea Palladio reaches Ireland words dolores o ’ donoghue

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 43

below and bottom: Powerscourt House and Gardens, Enniskerry, County Wicklow

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I

n the early 18th century the influence of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio swept through Ireland and was soon to become synonymous with architectural excellence and the preferred style for the luxurious residences of the rich Ascendancy. Ireland can also boast the only surviving example of a building erected to a design by Palladio outside his native Italy: the façade of the Provost’s House, Trinity College, Dublin.

Classical Palladian architecture was introduced to Ireland by a young Florentine architect, Alessandro Galilei, who drew up the original designs for Ireland’s first Palladian mansion, Castletown House.

However, Galilei did not supervise the building as he had returned to Italy before it commenced. (His most notable work is the magnificent façade of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome.)

The build at Castletown House was taken over by Edward Lovett Pearce. Pearce had just returned to Ireland from Italy and was to become the chief exponent of the rich tradition of Palladianism in Ireland. He is best known for his work on Parliament House (now Bank of Ireland) on College Green in Dublin. This was the world’s first purpose-built, two-chamber parliament building.

Sadly, Pearce died of septicaemia in 1733, aged thirty-four, and never lived to see his

architecture

‘Although many of the great country houses were destroyed during the Irish War of Independence, many remain today as fine examples of Irish Palladianism’ top and above: Bank of Ireland and former Parliament House, College Green, Dublin; below: Castletown House, Celbridge, County Kildare

most famous work completed.

Following Pearce’s death, his assistant, a German architect, Richard Cassels, became the most fashionable architect in Ireland, designing a series of lavish country houses including Carton House, Powerscourt House and Russborough House.

In Dublin, Cassels was responsible for the design of Trinity College, Printing House, Tyrone House and Marlborough Street, but his masterpiece is undoubtedly Kildare House, built for Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, the 20th Earl of Kildare. When the Earl was awarded a dukedom and became First Duke of Leinster, the house was renamed Leinster House. One of the Duke’s sons who didn’t particularly like living in Leinster House was the aristocrat-turned-revolutionary, Lord Edward FitzGerald, who once complained in a letter to his mother that ‘Leinster House does not inspire the brightest ideas’. Leinster House has been the seat of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland, since 1922, so one would hope that the building’s uninspirational ambience is a thing of the past.

Irish Palladianism has long been recognised as a distinctive version of the style, frequently featuring Rococo plasterwork, often with stucco, with far more flamboyant and decorative interiors than Palladian buildings elsewhere in Europe. Although many of the great country houses were destroyed during the Irish War of Independence, many remain today as fine examples of Irish Palladianism.

james hoban: The Irishman who designed

the white house How the son of an Irish tenant farmer rose from journeyman carpenter to become the architect of the world’s most famous house words dolores o ’ donoghue

J

ames Hoban, born in 1758, was the son of an impoverished tenant farmer on the estate of Otway Cuffe, the Earl of Desart near Callan, Kilkenny. Luckily, this particular landlord was of a more enlightened disposition than most and provided a basic education for the children of his tenants at a school on the estate.

The school also offered tutoring in carpentry, wheelwright skills and stonemasonry, which Hoban took advantage of. These skills would no doubt be useful to him in what was assumed would be his future as a tenant or tradesman on the estate.

James had a great talent for drawing and design and, under the patronage of the Earl, attended the Dublin Society’s Drawing School. Here his work won him the prestigious Duke of Leinster medal and also impressed Thomas Ivory, the school’s principal. Ivory also had a private design practice and Hoban worked with him on the construction of notable Irish buildings such as Dublin’s City Hall and the Custom House.

Although beginning to make a name for himself in Ireland, he decided to emigrate to America in 1785.

In 1792, at President George Washington’s request, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson announced an architectural competition to produce design drawings for a new home for America’s president. Having established himself as the architect of many fine homes and public buildings, including the Charleston County Courthouse, Hoban entered the competition. As he set about this challenge, he looked to his native country for inspiration. He looked to the work of his mentor, Thomas Ivory, to that of Edward Lovett Pearse and most especially to Richard Cassel’s design of Leinster House. In July 1792, George Washington and three commissioners reviewed the entries and selected Hoban’s design for the executive mansion.

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top left: 1981 stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of Hoban’s death; left: A letter written by James Hoban to the Commissioners of the Federal City on 3 November 1792.

The letter outlines Hoban’s initial requests for lumber, stone, and nails to begin construction on the President’s House.

‘In July 1792, George Washington and three commissioners reviewed the entries and selected Hoban’s design for the executive mansion’

architecture

top: Leinster House, Irish government buildings, in Dublin; above: The Duke of Leinster’s medal awarded to James Hoban in November 1780; below: The White House, the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States

As with Leinster House, the White House has a triangular pediment supported by four round columns with three windows beneath the pediment. On each side there are four windows on each level with alternating triangular and rounded window crowns and there are two chimneys, one on each side of the building.

Hoban had to incorporate several modifications to his initial design, which were demanded by the commissioners, one of which was an order to reduce the building from three stories to two. Sadly the first president of the United States, George Washington, the man who had instigated the building of the presidential residence, never got to live there. The first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved into the mansion early in November 1800.

When President Kennedy addressed Dail Eireann at Leinster House in 1963, he paid tribute to Hoban. ‘Features of this stately mansion served to inspire similar features in the White House in Washington. I know that the White House was designed by James Hoban, a noted Irish-American architect, and I have no doubt that he believed, by incorporating several features of the Dublin style, he would make it more homelike for any President of Irish descent.’

Another proud Irish-American president now resides in this famous house; I’m sure he feels right at home there!

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 47

Past to Present Restoring, refurbishing and styling a period property

words edel cassidy

R

estoring a period home can be an overwhelming experience and can raise many unexpected issues. Owners are usually mindful of why they chose a period home in the first place, and will want to preserve as many of the original features as possible. Much of the value, interest and satisfaction associated with living in a period building lies in its history and character. However, when setting out a restoration plan, the aim should be to maintain the original style but without having to sacrifice the modern functionality that we all need in our homes today.

While living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and, even in some cases, bathrooms, will not be radically different from the same rooms today, kitchens most definitely are different. The kitchen used to be a very modest and functional room where the servants or the lady of the house prepared meals – without refrigerators, dishwashers or microwaves, and certainly without smart technology.

Today the kitchen has become the most important room in the home and is no longer just used for preparing and cooking food. It is where families congregate for meals, entertain guests and is also used for storing all sorts of gadgets and utensils.

Combining a clever restoration to incorporate modern conveniences without interrupting the character of the original design can be a daunting task and is generally best left to an expert, who the owner can trust to be their adviser and partner throughout the process.

The Victorian Kitchen Company, formerly known as the Victorian Salvage and Joinery Company, was founded by Mark McDonagh in 1998. Back in the 1980s, he and his father, Niall McDonagh, set up the Architectural Salvage Company. As his grandfather was also

‘The kitchen used to be a very modest and functional room where the servants or the lady of the house prepared meals’

48 summer 2021 an t h o lo gy

interiors

anthology summer 2021 49

an antique dealer, Mark has the advantage of three generations of knowledge and experience in period restoration.

Mark’s expert knowledge of period buildings, history and furniture-making brought him to set up a service to provide quality period-style joinery, made with integrity by traditional methods, using sustainably sourced woods.

Every single piece is uniquely made by hand and with love! A traditionally trained carpenter, he has, in turn, trained his team at the Victorian Kitchen Company to help clients maintain the original character of their homes, fusing seamlessly the old with the new to adapt to the times we live in. This is achieved by combining expert traditional craftsmanship with modern fittings and functionality to make beautiful timeless pieces of furniture to last well into the next century.

The versatile team at the Victorian Kitchen Company, in addition to kitchens, will also design and fit out bathrooms, bedrooms and sitting rooms. They make bespoke wardrobes, bookcases, alcove cabinets, doors and home office furniture, and are experts in finding a creative solution to a design dilemma or tricky space. They have gained a reliable reputation for quality period joinery that won’t break the bank.

Recycling and upcycling are the hottest new trends in interior design, but the concept is nothing new to the Victorian Kitchen Company, who have followed this ethos for over thirty years. Stocks of salvaged vintage flooring and quirky pieces including original antique baths are on display in the showrooms. Mark also considers lighting a very important element that can balance tradition with forward-thinking design and he loves to find and restore

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antique lighting and bring it back to life. He believes that lighting should stay true to the architectural roots of a period home, but also likes adding in accents that feel modern and fresh.

The company’s title would suggest that their work is confined to period houses, but they welcome work from everywhere and every style of house, from contemporary apartments and new-builds to townhouses and even castles. They are sought after all over the country and have also been contracted for jobs in Britain and Europe.

The Victorian Kitchen Company showroom is in Cloghran, Dublin, conveniently located close to Dublin Airport, and is well worth a visit as there is so much to see from their kitchens to bathrooms, lighting, flooring and exquisite joinery. It is a treasure trove for anyone considering restoring or extending an old house, or fitting out a new-build.

A second showroom has recently opened in Dundalk, Co. Louth. Another must-visit location, it is not just a space showcasing kitchens, but also a place to find unique and unusual furniture, lighting and decorative accessories.

For more information visit victoriankitchencompany.ie

interiors

Creating

Beautiful Places

The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere – in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion and in ourselves. No-one would desire not to be beautiful. When we experience the Beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming. Some of our most wonderful memories are of beautiful places where we felt immediately at home. We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful, for it meets the needs of our soul.

John O’Donoghue

A

beautiful home is something most of us desire. While it’s important that a home reflects the personality and personal style and tastes of the owner, the services of an interior designer can also be invaluable. An experienced designer will help achieve a truly personal

space and will strive to understand the way the homeowner wants to live, and endeavour to meet specific needs and expectations.

The following pages present some most stylish, influential, and innovative interior designers from around the country.

anthology summer 2021 51

Lana Dullaghan Designs An award winning interior designer, Lana Dullaghan is passionate about colour and believes that colour has a huge impact on our wellbeing. When it comes to designing a home or an office she will always find the most artistic and creative solutions for her projects. Elegance, luxury and deep rich colours are the hallmarks of her style.

The team at Lana Dullaghan Designs offers interior design services for both residential and commercial projects, and not always with a high price tag. Their personal approach, with attention to detail, transforms concepts into reality, with the client’s unique style, personality and lifestyle to the forefront.

Dromiskin, Dundalk, Co Louth I +353 87 6725598 lana@lanadullaghandesigns.com I lanadullaghandesigns.com

RCD Design Believing that interior design can make a real difference to people’s lives and how they feel about their world, Rosemarie Carroll established RCD Design in 2009 when she was shortlisted for a design award.

She holds a Rhodec Advanced Diploma and a Higher National Diploma in Interior Design. Working on individual bespoke residential projects, Rosemarie is always on the lookout for beautiful things and inspiring spaces.

Now offering virtual consultations, she believes in empowering individuals to realise their home’s full potential, transforming and creating ‘the look’ they desire. No detail is unimportant. For Rosemarie, design is all about listening and a good rapport; it is a journey and a collaboration. It’s an approach to design that works as verified by her many five-star reviews.

Glenageary, Co. Dublin +353 86 880 7879 rcddesigndublin@gmail.com rcddesign.ie

Jackie Tyrrell Design

+353 86 2778796 jackie@jtd.ie I jtd.ie

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Jackie has passionately pursued a career in interior design for more than twenty years, combining her artistic and creative personality with her ability to be incredibly technically minded, producing original and practical interior design solutions. She lectured at the Dublin Institute of Design for eight years.

Sourcing and providing lighting and furniture for projects is something that excites her, and she has a beautifully curated, ever-changing collection in her Kildare studio. A selection of furniture, lights, mirrors and her newly launched Sea Salt and Oak Moss Scent Collection are available to purchase online.

New range of quartz available MAIN STREET, KILBEGGAN, CO. WESTMEATH, IRELAND, N91 FNK1

T: +353 57 93 32167 / +353 57 93 33946 F: +353 57 93 32978 I E: info@eganstone.ie

www.eganstone.ie

C O L O U R

&

D E S I G N

C O N S U L T A N C Y

‘Colour is a power which directly influences the soul’ lanadullaghandesigns.com I +353 87 6725598 I lana@lanadullaghandesigns.com

Jackie Tyrrell Design interior interior architecture ·. interior design ·. graphic design

Forall allyour your Commercial commercial and residential interior For & Residential interiorneeds, needs including Design & Build, Space planning, including design & build, space planning, Branding, Sourcing, Softfurnishings, furnishings & project Projectmanagement management branding, sourcing, soft and w: www.jtd.ie

e: jackie@jtd.ie

m: 086 277 87 96

JEAN LOWNDES ART Pale t t e K n if e A r t is t

Grafton Street’s a Wonderland

www.jeanlowndesart.ie AWARD-WINNING INTERIOR DESIGNER LOUISE HIGGINS

+356 86 3999926

•

info@aspiredesign.ie

www.aspiredesign.ie

fiq

Jean invites you to visit her newly opened studio gallery at her home by appointment.

COVID-19 protocols will be adhered to as per the government guidelines

Her work is available at The Kilrane Gallery Wexford, Number 10 Design Co. Kildare, Castle Crafts Trim and Taylor Made Crafts @Argillan Castle Skerries

The Irish Kitchen Still the heart of the home

words louise higgins

56 summer 2021 an t h o lo gy

interiors

Traditionally, the kitchen has always been and continues to be the true heart of the Irish home. It’s the place where family, friends and neighbours congregate to share stories, laughter and solve all the world’s problems over a nice cuppa.

This past year has seen us become reacquainted with our kitchens − making, baking, working, schooling and enjoying time with our families. More time now spent at home offers an ideal opportunity to plan a kitchen upgrade or renovation. So, let’s have a look at what can be done to create a more traditional Irish atmosphere, and add character and charm while maintaining modern functionality.

Traditional Touches Shaker-style cabinets are timeless in design; they can work well in both traditional and modern-style kitchens. Solid wood works best as it can be left natural with a wax or varnish finish, or painted with a heritage paint colour.

A large farmhouse-style table with bench seating will provide a touch of nostalgia. It will also maximise seating in a much-in-demand space that now may have to function as a home office, a study room, mini-cinema or virtual conference room.

Other items to add a traditional look include an AGA oven, Belfast sink and wicker baskets built into the island or kitchen units. A dresser will instantly add charm and extra storage and is also perfect for displaying dainty vintage china.

Vintage-Inspired Accessories Add accessories to enhance a traditional kitchen or simply add some rustic charm to a modern kitchen, such as unique antique or reclaimed pieces like a statement ceiling pendant. In a traditional kitchen, it is usual to hang favourite pots, pans and utensils in full view – making them stand out as part of the kitchen décor.

Other homely accessories to consider are retro glass, tin or ceramic canisters and bread bins, hanging dish drying racks or traditional heavy glazed stoneware mixing bowls. Lots of appliance manufacturers are now producing vintage-inspired kitchen gadgets such as kettles, toasters and food mixers, based on the classics that we all know and love, and these are just perfect for a kitschy retro revival kitchen. anthology summer 2021 57

Irish Furniture Makers We have some fabulously talented furniture makers in Ireland, so why not consider adding a real Irish touch while also supporting local craftspeople with pieces such as a súgán chair, rocking chair or wooden stools?

Once a familiar sight in kitchens all over Ireland, the súgán chair is crafted without nails and is joined with mortise and tenon joints to hold it together with a sturdy woven seat of ‘súgán’, the Irish word for hemp rope, although today twine is more commonly used. Traditionally they were considered an heirloom to be handed down to the next generation – no wonder, as they do last a lifetime!

A Retro Vibe

Country Chic A country-style kitchen has an enduring appeal and can work whether your home is surrounded by open fields or in the centre of the city. Combine pantry cupboards with modern kitchen appliances and elegant lighting for a chic country kitchen. Never be afraid to mix styles and add contemporary elements to give a sophisticated but homely ambience.

Welcome natural elements such as wooden beams, floorboards and window frames, as well as accessories such as chunky chopping boards, turned wooden bowls and carved spoons.

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Create a throwback in time with some funky accessories to give your kitchen that old-school vibe. A retro refrigerator can be both charming and stylish, and a vintage radio or rotary dial phone can be fun and functional accents.

A classic black and white checkerboard floor works well even in a very modern kitchen, as will a gingham tablecloth and napkins. For a paint colour-palette, there are plenty of options from vibrant primary colours to a dusty rose or yellow reminiscent of a sun-faded Polaroid.

interiors

Eclectic Mood Adding eclectic touches to the kitchen is a fantastic way to showcase individual creativity. World travellers, collectors of fine objects and colour enthusiasts can showcase all the unique items they have curated over the years, adding and removing elements, blending styles and hues, textures and periods.

Some homeowners are now moving away from the clean-cut kitchen and embracing a more layered and colourful approach that expresses individual personality and tastes. Mixing contemporary fitted kitchen units with free-standing furniture, floating shelves and colourful dishware can all work to make a unique and magical kitchen.

Kitchen Aromas There are many aromas that we associate with an Irish kitchen such as the smell of freshly baked bread, Sunday roasts, turf burning in the stove, a vase of garden flowers and freshly baked apple tart. These aromas were once guaranteed to attract all the family without the need to holler or text!

With the popularity of home-baking and cooking most definitely on the rise, we have rediscovered the value of gathering around the kitchen table for a family meal. Times will change as will our daily routines. The kitchen, however, will always remain the heart of the Irish home.

Louise Higgins, founder of Aspire Design, is an award-winning designer and a graduate of the Interior Design Academy of Ireland.

Louise is a full member of the Interiors Association and is also a member of the Crafts Council of Ireland. For further advice, contact Louise at 045-982265 or louise@aspiredesign.ie

anthology summer 2021 59

Sisters atWar

Traditionally, the role of women in Ireland’s revolutionary years was overlooked, but in recent times we have become more informed about the fearless women who helped shape our history words sinéad mc coole and edel cassidy

Members of Cumann na mBan

T

he Decade of Centenaries has provided an opportunity to focus on the complex period of our history from 1912-1923.

Events that took place during this time include the foundation of the Irish Volunteers, the Home Rule and Land Bills, the 1913 Lockout, the 1916 Rising, the suffrage movement, the first sitting of the Dáil, the War of Independence, the Civil War, the Foundation of the State and Partition. With the release of a wealth of documentation, historians have been building a more complete version of our history. As a result, there is a greater awareness of the role of the women who were very actively involved in the struggle for Irish freedom and the foundation of the new State.

Several hundred women took part in the 1916 Rising, not only carrying dispatches and providing medical care but also fighting beside their male comrades. Most of these women belonged to organisations such as Inghinidhe na hÉireann, Cumann na mBan and the Irish Citizen Army. Inghinidhe na hÉireann was an Irish nationalist women’s organisation founded by Maud Gonne in 1900. It merged with the new Cumann na mBan, set up in 1914 so that women could assist the Irish Volunteers in their fight for the freedom of Ireland.

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Kathleen Clarke, who chaired the first meeting of Cumann na mBan in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising, urged the women present to get to work and declared, ‘let us show our enemy what we women can do’. It was women who undertook the administration of the Volunteers Dependents’ Fund which was set up for the welfare of the families of those who had been killed or interned. They organised fundraising, contributed to the propaganda machine, participated in elections and provided safe houses for rebels who had escaped arrest. Many of the same women later assisted in the distribution of funds raised by the American Committee for Relief in Ireland through the Irish White Cross. Women were at the fore of the anti-conscription campaign which resisted the British government’s imposition of a military draft in Ireland during the First World War. This year, we take a look back at the events of 1921, one of the most violent periods in the Irish War of Independence. In the eight months before the truce was called in July 1921, guerrilla war was at its most intense and the violence and death toll escalated. With many of the men imprisoned, women filled the void.

New information available from the Military Archives pension records shows how vital and how extensive their role was in the continued fight for Irish independence.

Their work included hiding and moving arms, administering medical aid, fundraising, keeping contact with prisoners and acting as spies and couriers. They faced regular interrogation and often brutal raids of their homes by the British forces.

During this period, there were many families from across disparate social, economic and geographic divides who wished to seek Irish independence. Some followed Wolfe Tone’s strong ideals of republicanism and had ancestors who had fought in rebellions over the centuries. Others were non-political but were drawn to radical nationalism through the cultural revival in Irish sports, language, drama, dance and other cultural activities.

The diversity of the families involved in radical nationalism is told here in the stories of some of the brave sisters who played an enormous part in the fight for Irish independence, sisters at war, who were willing to give their lives for their country. They endured imprisonment, hunger strike and separation from their families and friends for their beliefs.

history

The Cooneys

16 Upper Basin Street, Dublin The Cooney family had a long tradition of nationalism; their grandfather took part in the Fenian Rising of 1867.

Their home was used to store ammunition and Con Colbert, one of the leaders, had stayed with the Cooneys in the lead up to the 1916 Rising. At just sixteen-years-old, Eileen served in the Marrowbone Lane garrison with her sisters Lily aged eighteen and Anne, twenty. A younger brother, Thomas, was used as a runner. All three sisters were arrested and sent to Richmond Barracks initially and then on to Kilmainham Gaol. Their father was arrested when he visited the garrison to bring the girls a change of clothing.

Before he was executed, Colbert wrote a letter to Anne and Lily, which said, ‘You girls give us courage and may God grant you Freedom soon in the fullest sense’.

The three sisters continued their involvement through the Irish War of Independence, running ammunition, arms and dispatches. Anne Cooney was one of the few women arrested during this time,

serving a sentence in Mountjoy Gaol.

On the Saturday night before Bloody Sunday, they were approached by a member of the Fourth Battalion to be ready at the University Church at six o’clock the next morning, as there was a big job on. Anne recounted, ‘after waiting during what seemed to us an eternity, the three fellows came along walking pretty smartly and handed over their guns to us, one each, in a laneway between the church and Harcourt Steet

corner. We put the guns in our pockets and proceeded home’.

During the Irish Civil War they took the anti-Treaty side, which resulted in constant raids on their home that Anne described as ‘much worse than those of the Tans’. below: Lily, Eileen and Anne Cooney.

Courtesy of Kilmainham Gaol Museum/ OPW KMGLM.18PC-1B56-03; below left: Anne Cooney in Cumann na mBan uniform.

Courtesy of Kilmainham Gaol Museum/ OPW KMGLM.18PC-1B56-03.

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Volunteers and Cumman Na mBan 1915. Seated far right are Madge and Carrie Daly.

Standing far right is Robert Monteith who evaded capture having landed on Banna Strand with Roger Casement, during a failed attempt to import arms from Germany. Back row 7th left is George Clancy who, as Mayor of Limerick, was brutally murdered during the War of Independence 1921. Courtesy of Patricia Haselbeck Flynn from Franz S. Haselbeck’s Ireland ISBN 978-184889-184-5 © Haselbeck Collection.

of the house were piled out on to the street and burned by the Black and Tans.

In June 1921, on the morning of the execution of Volunteer Thomas Keane, Laura Daly led members of Cumann na mBan in a procession to the walls of the New Barracks on Lord Edward Street (now Sarsfield Barracks), Limerick. She carried a banner she had borrowed from Fr Hennessy of the Augustinian Church. Several of the women were badly beaten by members of the Crown forces. below: The Daly family in 1901. Front row (left to right) Aileen, Kathleen, Madge, Ned. Back row (left to right) Nora, Annie, Agnes, Carrie, Laura.; bottom: Catherine Daly with five of her daughters in mourning dress. Back (left to right) Madge, Catherine Daly, Agnes. Front row (left to right) Laura, Nora, Carrie.

The Dalys

26 Frederick Street (now O’Curry Street), Limerick Edward and Catherine Daly had ten children, nine daughters and one son.

The family was steeped in republican tradition, with both Edward and his brother John having taken part in the Fenian Rising of 1867.

Collectively the Daly sisters were the driving force behind the Limerick City branch of Cumann na mBan. Madge, Laura, Kathleen, Agnes, Carrie and Nora were all heavily involved. Their only brother Ned and Kathleen’s husband Thomas Clarke were executed in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising.

While living in Dublin, Kathleen went on to establish the Volunteers’ Dependants’ Fund and during the War of Independence, sheltered men and women on the run. In May 1918 she was arrested and spent nine months in Holloway Prison in London. It was claimed that she was involved in the ‘German plot’, which was an alleged alliance between the Germans and Sinn Féin, who were opposed to introducing conscription in Ireland.

She was elected as a Sinn Féin TD in 1921 and was opposed to the Treaty. In 1926, she became a founder member of Fianna Fáil and subsequently served as

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a TD and Senator. In 1937, she objected to the content of Éamon de Valera’s draft of the new Constitution and resigned from the Fianna Fáil Cumann named after her husband. She felt several of the articles compromised the rights of women. She was the first female Lord Mayor of Dublin (1939–1941).

From about 1920, the three unmarried sisters, Madge, Agnes and Carrie, moved with their mother to Ardeevin, on the Ennis Road, Limerick, where they were constantly raided during the War of Independence. In one particularly brutal attack, when Agnes and Carrie were alone, Agnes was dragged out of the house where her assailants cut her hair and slashed her hand with a razor, severing an artery. In 1921, the contents

history

The Murphys

Crossmahon, Macroom, Cork left: Kate OCallaghan (centre) shortly after her husband, Limerick Mayor Michael O’Callaghan was murdered by Crown forces on 7 March 1921. She stands in front of her house between her housemaid (left) and her sister (right). Courtesy of Patricia Haselbeck Flynn from Franz S. Haselbeck’s Ireland ISBN 978184889-184-5 © Haselbeck Collection.

Cornelius and Julia Murphy had fourteen children, eleven of whom survived into adulthood. The family valued education and Kate, Máire and Bríd obtained degrees from the Royal University, followed by teacher training in Cambridge. Elsie qualified as a doctor from University College, Cork.

Máire took up a post as Professor of the Methods of Teaching at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick in 1903.

When she married in 1909, her sister Kate replaced her in the position. Kate held the post until 1914 when she married Michael O’Callaghan. At that point another sister, Éilis, took up the post.

The sisters were close and together they joined the Gaelic League and were very active in the suffragette movement and Cumann na mBan. Michael O’Callaghan became Mayor of Limerick in 1920, a public figure representing the view of the by then proscribed Dáil Éireann, which became an underground government. Following his attendance at the funeral of the murdered Mayor of Cork, Thomas MacCurtain, he began to receive letters threatening his life. On Monday 7 March 1921, the O’Callaghan home was raided, and Kate witnessed the murder of her husband. She spoke publicly about it and wrote a pamphlet titled ‘The Case of Michael O’Callaghan’ to counter propaganda and misinformation about his murder. Later that year she was elected to Dáil Éireann.

She opposed the Treaty in 1922 and was interned in Kilmainham Gaol where she went on hunger strike for nineteen days. Her sister Elsie was also imprisoned in Kilmainham at this time.

On 23rd May 1937, Kate wrote to Éamon de Valera, pointing out why she would not vote for the acceptance of the Draft Constitution.

‘The articles relating to the status of women were a great disappointment to me, as they must have been to the many who hoped for the “equal rights and equal opportunities” which the

Proclamation of the Republic in 1916 guaranteed to all its citizens.’

She particularly objected to Article 45.4.2, ‘as it charges the Creator with afflicting half the race with “inadequate strength” or with éagcumas, which surely means the lack of some power which they ought to have.’

The wording of this Article was changed due to the many objections from women’s organisations and individual women, who considered the phrase very offensive. below: (Left) Kate O’Callaghan and Mary MacSwiney, sister of Terence who died on hunger strike attending the Treaty debates, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin; (Right) Funeral of George Clancy and Michael O’Callaghan (husband of Kate), the two murdered Mayors of Limerick, 1921; bottom: From left, Kathleen Clarke, Constance Markievicz, Kate O’Callaghan and Margaret Pearse in 1921

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The Giffords

97 Palmerston Road, Rathmines, Dublin Frederick Gifford, a Catholic solicitor, and his wife, Isabella Burton, daughter of a Church of Ireland rector, had twelve children, six daughters and six sons. Isabella’s father died in her infancy and she was raised by her uncle, the painter Frederic William Burton, whose painting Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs features

on the cover of this issue.

Nellie Gifford was a founder member of the Irish Citizens Army. She posed as Jim Larkin’s niece to gain him entry to the Imperial Hotel, where his speech from a balcony resulted in the lockout of 1913. She was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol following the 1916 Rising where she wrote her name on her cell wall; the inscription can still be seen there.

Grace married Joseph Plunkett in Kilmainham Gaol hours before his execution on 4 May 1916. In the aftermath of the Rising, their story was a contributing factor in turning the tide of public opinion to one of sympathy. Grace was elected to the Sinn Féin executive in 1917 and during the War of Independ-

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right: Grace Gifford Plunkett, passport photograph, 1928. Courtesy of Kilmainham Gaol Museum/OPW KMGLM.21PC-1A45-30.; left: ‘Events of Easter Week’, Catholic Bulletin, c.1916/17; photograph of Muriel Gifford MacDonagh and her children. Courtesy of Kilmainham Gaol Museum/OPW KMGLM.2012.0183.

ence she used her artistic skills for propaganda purposes.

Along with the other 1916 widows, she opposed the Treaty and was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol during the Civil War, where her sister, Katherine was a fellow inmate.

During Katherine’s time in prison, she was made a commanding officer on the Cumann na mBan Prisoner’s Council. She was also involved in the Irish White Cross.

Muriel Gifford was married to Thomas McDonagh, one of the signatories of the Proclamation in 1916, and was active in the Women’s Franchise League and Inghinidhe na hÉireann. She was drowned while on holiday with the other 1916 widows and orphans in Skerries, County Dublin on 9 July 1917, leaving a young son and daughter orphaned.

Sidney Gifford was a member of Inghinidhe na hÉireann and Cumann na mBan and was on the executive council of Sinn Féin. While living in America, she and her sister Nellie founded the American branch of Cumann na mBan and also worked with the Irish Americans in Clann na nGael and the Irish Progressive League. Sidney returned to Ireland in 1922 and joined the Women’s Prisoners’ Defence League, an organisation that helped with aid for republican prisoners during the Civil War. below: (Left) Helen Ruth ‘Nellie’ Gifford, Boston 1917. Courtesy of Kilmainham Gaol Museum/OPW KMGLM.2012.0143; (Right) Grace Gifford Plunkett, Maeve Donnelly, and Katherine Gifford Wilson.

Courtesy of Kilmainham Gaol Museum/ OPW KMGLM.2012.0146.

history images courtesy of honor o ’ brolchain

The Plunketts

26 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin Count George Noble and Countess Josephine Plunkett had seven children. Their eldest son, Joseph, was a signatory of the 1916 Proclamation and was executed for his part in the Rising. Their two other sons George and Jack were sentenced to death but had their sentences commuted to ten years penal servitude.

Although Countess Plunkett was not political, she allowed the Volunteers to train on the grounds of two of the family properties. She was arrested in the aftermath of the Rising when out searching for her sons.

Philomena (Mimi) was a member of Cumann na mBan. Before the Rising, she travelled to America, serving as a courier between the IRB military council and the Clan na Gael leaders in New York. On her return, she resumed her work with Cumann na mBan. Geraldine cared for her brother Joseph, who was very ill, and was also his aide-de-camp. She wanted to serve in the GPO, but Joseph ordered her home to manufacture explosives with above: (Left) Fiona Plunkett; (Right) Moya and Mimi Plunkett; right: (Top) The seven Plunkett children; (Bottom) Plunkett children at the Lord Mayor’s Fancy Dress Party for children, 1896. (Left to Right) Geraldine, Moya, Mimi and Joseph.

her husband, Thomas Dillon, who was a professor of chemistry at University College Dublin.

The Dillon home was frequently raided and in 1921 Geraldine was arrested and separated from her three small children when literature on the White Cross was discovered. Her daughter, Eilís Dillon wrote of the event, ‘… a party of soldiers broke into the house, upset the furniture, threw the books down from the shelves, lifted the floor-boards in their search for hidden guns, and finished by taking my mother away with them on their lorry, surrounded by fixed bayonets … My older sister, then four years old, knew just what was afoot because on another occasion, not long before, she had been compelled by a party of Black and Tans to lead them out into the garden where my mother was so that they could kill her. My mother argued them out of their intention then, saying that it would be objected to in England if they were to shoot down a young woman in the presence of her child. But now they had gone off with our mother, and my sister understood that we would never see her again.’

Fiona, the youngest of the Plunkett sisters, worked as a secretary at Cumann na mBan headquarters and was a section commander during the War of Independence. In her later years, she remained an active republican. In 1976, she was prosecuted for her participation in a banned commemoration of the 1916 Rising at the GPO.

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The Ryans

Tomcoole, Wexford The Ryan sisters played an active part in Ireland’s revolutionary years. John and Eliza Ryan had a family of eight girls and four boys. The girls were educated in Loreto College, Gorey before going to university in Dublin. Three of the sisters, Min, Kit and Phyllis, shared a house in Ranelagh while attending university.

Their house became a centre of IRB activity and Min was a founding member of Cumann na mBan in 1914.

During the 1916 Rising, Phyllis and Min brought food and messages to the GPO, where their brother, Jim, a medical stu-

dent and Min’s friend Seán MacDiarmada were stationed. Jim attended James Connolly when his ankle was shattered by gunfire. Although Nell (who remained on the family farm in Wexford) and Kit Ryan had not taken part in the Rising, they were both sent to prison.

The Civil War was to cause a split in the Ryan family. Min married General Richard Mulcahy, Chief of Staff of the IRA and they both supported the Treaty.

Mulcahy went on to become Commanderin-Chief of the Irish Army. He was appointed Minister for Defence from

top left: Ryan Family (1910 approx.). Back (left to right) Jim, Chris, Jack, Kit, Michael, Nell, Min. Middle (left to right) Liz, Martin, Eliza Sutton, John Ryan, Josie, Kate Ryan (aunt). Front (left to right) Agnes, Phyllis.

Courtesy of Richard Mulcahy; top right: Min Ryan and her husband, General Richard Mulcahy in 1922; above: Seán T. O’Kelly and his wife, Kit (née Ryan), and Harry Boland at Kingsbridge Station; below: Phyllis Ryan with her husband, Seán T. O’Kelly on his Presidential Inauguration Day

1922–24 and earned notoriety through his order that anti-Treaty activists captured carrying arms were liable for execution. He was leader of Fine Gael from 1944 to 1959.

Kit married Seán T. O’Kelly, a founding member of the Volunteers. They both opposed the Treaty and he later became vice-president of the executive council of Fianna Fáil. Nell and Phyllis Ryan and their brother Jim also opposed the Treaty. Kit died in 1934 and two years later, O’Kelly married her younger sister, Phyllis.

Seán T. O’Kelly became the second President of Ireland on 25 June 1945.

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history

Ballylongford, Kerry

above: Anna on bicycle, 1895 ; left: Nell Rahilly, c.1900; far left: Sighle in Cumann na mBan uniform

Nell and Anna Rahilly were sisters of Michael, also known as The O’Rahilly, the only leader of the 1916 Rising to be killed in action. Their father had died in 1896, leaving the family extremely well off. Following his death, Anna moved with their mother to Ardnacrusha in County Clare.

Anna was a member of the Gaelic League and was involved in Sinn Féin. In April 1914 she was one of a small group of women present at the founding of Cumann na mBan in Wynne’s Hotel, Dublin. She and her sister Nell were both arrested in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising.

Nell married David Humphrys, an eye surgeon from Limerick in 1895, who died just eight years later. She and her three young children moved to Ardnacrusha to live with her mother and sister. In 1909 Anna, Nell and the children moved to Dublin. Nell’s son,

Dick, served in the GPO with his uncle, The O’Rahilly. Her daughter Sighle joined Cumann na mBan in 1919 at the age of twenty. She was involved in looking after the wounded, distribut-

ing propaganda and finding safe houses for those on the run during the War of Independence and the Civil War. Anna contributed large amounts of money to various nationalist causes and also provided the first money to be handled by Dáil Éireann in 1919, a loan for £2000. During the Civil War, all members of the household opposed the Treaty. In 1922, Ernie O’Malley was captured in the Humphry’s home. Nell and her daughter, Sighle were imprisoned. Anna, who was accidentally shot during the raid, was sent to hospital and once recovered, was imprisoned for the rest of the Civil War, and was on hunger strike in October–November 1923.

Sinéad McCoole is a member of the government’s Expert Advisory Group on the Decade of Centenaries and was Historical Advisor to the 2016 National Commemoration Programme. She is the author of many books which provide more extensive information on the subject of this article, including: Guns and Chiffon: Women Revolutionaries and Kilmainham Gaol 1916-1923; No Ordinary Women: Irish Female Activists in the Revolutionary Years, 1900-1923; Easter Widows, the Untold Story of the Wives of the Executed Leaders.

For assistance in securing images, a sincere thanks to Patricia Haselbeck Flynn, Órla McKeown, Honor O’Brolchain, Dr. Mark Humphrys, Richard Mulcahy, Kilmainham Gaol Museum/OPW, Special Collections and Archives at University of Limerick.

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images courtesy of dr mark humphrys , humphrys genealogy

The Rahillys

Dia Do Bheatha

Sultan

T

he Irish people are famed for their kindness and generosity, especially when it comes to supporting charities. The online crowdfunding platform GoFundMe recently named Ireland the most generous country in the world, having retained the position for a third year running, with the highest number of donations per capita. In his 2014 TED Talk, ‘Which country does the most good for the world?’ Simon Anholt proclaimed that Ireland was the ‘goodest’ country in the world, according to a survey that measured what each country on earth contributes to the planet and the human race.

Many believe that the generosity of the Irish is partially due to the legacy of the Great Hunger, An Gorta Mór, in the 1840s and 1850s. Ireland has not forgotten the kindness of people throughout the world that provided assistance in their time of need. Donations came from locations as diverse as Australia, China, India, Russia, South America, South Africa, Mexico and Italy, from across religious, ethnic and social divides. Help came from some of the poorest groups in society, including former slaves in the Caribbean. The donation from the Native American Choctaws representright: A painting of Abdulmejid at the Pera Museum in Istanbul (oil on canvas, 1850s). The Sultan wears a ceremonial uniform with gold embroidery on his front, collar and sleeves, with the Medal of the Medici order on his chest.

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The little-known story of Turkish aid to the Irish during the Great Hunger words edel cassidy

history

above: Piri Reis map showing the route from Istanbul to the Port of Drogheda; left: Letter of gratitude from ‘the Noblemen, Gentlemen & Inhabitants of Ireland’

ed an enormous sacrifice as it had only been sixteen years since they had been forced by the United States government to surrender their ancestral homelands and embark on the Trail of Tears, where thousands died of disease and starvation.

A little-known story is that of the donation of £1,000 made by Abdülmecid, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who learned of the famine from his Irish

physician, Dr Justin McCarthy, who was from Drishane in Co. Cork. The Sultan had originally intended to send £10,000, only to be advised by the British Consul in Istanbul that it would be diplomatically embarrassing for him to donate significantly more than the British Queen.

However, the Sultan, who was only twenty-three years old at the time, felt compelled to observe the Islamic laws of hospitality and decided to send five ships laden with grain to Ireland. The British authorities refused to allow his ships to dock in the ports of Belfast or Dublin, so they sailed into Drogheda where the Ottoman sailors secretly unloaded their precious cargo.

Some historians dispute that this event took place as there are no shipping records to confirm it. But Ireland has a great tradition of oral history and in some cases, history that comes from what is considered to be the most trusted written sources can be disputed. However, James Joyce mentions the generosity of the Sultan in Ulysses. He wrote, ‘Even the Grand Turk sent us his piastres. But the Sassenach tried to starve the nation at home while the land was full of crops that the British hyenas bought and sold in Rio de Janeiro.’

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its staple article of food and to visit the poor Inhabitants with privations, such as have seldom fallen to the lot of any civilized nation to endure. In this emergency the People of Ireland had no alternative but to appeal to the kindness and munificence of other Countries less afflicted than themselves, to save them and their families from Famine and Death and Your Majesty has responded nobly to the call, thereby displaying a worthy example to the other great nations of Europe, to assist their fellow creatures in affliction.’

Despite the unprecedented global response to the suffering of the Irish, the private donations came to an end when towards the end of 1847, the British government announced that the Famine was over. In 1848, evictions, emigration and deaths were still rising and proportionately more people died in 1849 than in Black ’47.

But without the generous contributions from countries all over the world, many, many more Irish people would have died during that tragic period of our history.

An Corrán is an Chrois (The Crescent and the Cross)

top: Sultan Abdulmejid (left) with Queen Victoria and Emperor Napoleon III of France (National Library of France); above: Plaque on the Westcourt Hotel in Drogheda, thanking the people of Turkey

Whatever about the story of the ships, there is no argument that the donation of £1,000 was made and was gratefully received by the people of Ireland. A letter of thanks was sent from Ireland to the Sultan. The original is preserved by the Directorate General for State Archives of Turkey. It reads: ‘We the undersigned Noblemen, Gentlemen & Inhabitants of Ireland beg leave most respectfully to approach Your Majesty in order to testify our deep-felt thanks and gratitude for the munificent act of benevolence and attention lately displayed by Your Majesty towards the suffering and afflicted Inhabitants of Ireland, and to thank Your Majesty on their behalf, for the liberal contribution of One Thousand Pounds lately given by Your Majesty to relieve the wants and mitigate the sufferings of the Irish People.

It has pleased Providence in its wisdom to deprive this Country suddenly of 70 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

The story of Sultan Abdülmecid’s aid to Ireland during the Great Hunger came to my attention when I heard an Irish song, An Corrán is an Chrois (The Crescent and the Cross) that recently won the 2fm / Conradh na Gaeilge Comórtas Amhrán Tí.

The title of the song, written by fourteen-year-old Eanna O’Casaide from Kilkenny, particularly refers to how in gratitude for the Sultan’s generosity, the city of Drogheda incorporated the Turkish star and crescent into its municipal crest. That symbol endures to this day, appearing even on the jerseys of the Drogheda United football club. Eanna had been told the story by a local Turkish barber and took inspiration from this charitable act from a Muslim country to our Christian nation.

An Corrán is an Chrois was performed by Burnchurch, a group of talented young musicians, consisting of Eanna and his siblings Sadhbh, Ruairí and Síofra. The song opens with the words, ‘Dia Do Bheatha Sultan agus guímid gach rath ort.’ (God be with you Sultan and every blessing be with you.)

The song has gathered a massive following from the Turkish community in Ireland and abroad, including being featured on the website of the Turkish Embassy. The Embassy’s First Secretary also visited the young musicians to personally thank them for keeping the Sultan’s memory alive.

Delivered directly to your door One-year subscription: €22 + shipping Receive four issues in print throughout the year. Keep up to date with the latest news in luxury lifestyle and well-being, interiors, adventures and destinations, fashion and beauty, art and culture, and more. anthology-magazine.com info@anthology-magazine.com +353 87 1945406

Don O’Neill: a retrospective The Irish Fashion Designer whose name has become synonymous with elegant and sophisticated eveningwear words edel cassidy

Don O’Neill

The sketch for the white coat that Don made for his younger sister and muse, Deirdre, before he began his fashion training.

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D

on O’Neill, who has flourished as a top international fashion designer for over three decades, was born and raised in Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry. He grew up in a close-knit family, where their home was also the family business, as his parents ran a popular bed and breakfast and an adjacent drycleaners in the seaside village. Being immersed in this busy envi-

fashion

ronment from an early age gave Don invaluable experience and a work ethic that no doubt has contributed to his success.

Watching and learning from his mother, as she cooked and baked and served their guests, certainly influenced his first choice of career, as Don trained as a chef before finding his way into fashion.

It was his mother, Mim, and her sense of style, that also inspired his fashion career. She had a wonderful dress collection, acquired when living in New York in the early sixties. She was a member of the local ICA, where she learned basic dressmaking skills and made dresses for herself, also managing to find time to produce beautiful needlepoint tapestries. Another early influence was local dressmaker, Hannie Laide who gave him an amazing insight into the wonderful intricacies of how garments were made, and an appreciation of the handwork

‘His first experiments were on his sister’s dolls, wrapping and draping them in his mother’s scarves’

Don weds Pascal Guillermie in his native village of Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry in 2016. Their wedding suits, designed by Don, featured rich embroidery of sea horses, Celtic motifs and Fuchsias

that went into them.

Don developed a keen interest in fashion from an early age. His first experiments were on his sister’s dolls, wrapping and draping them in his mother’s scarves.

Naturally talented and creative, he also proved to be rather resourceful. As a teenager living in Ballyheigue, he did not have access to the luxurious fabrics he would later become accustomed to working with. However, he was determined to make a spectacular white coat for his younger sister and muse, Deirdre and so asked his mother for an old set of sheets.

Being the ’80s, no look was complete without the shoulder pads that gave the silhouette a distinctive V-shaped appear-

Ahead of the curve.

Don upcycled old bed sheets to make his sister Deirdre this spectacular coat, in 1985, long before sustainable fashion went mainstream

above: Family gathering: Don’s mother Mim, niece Aoife and sister Deirdre all wearing THEIA

ance. The solution here was to acquire foam from the seat of an old car to give the coat the massive shoulders required to create the vision he had for Deirdre.

Don’s career has been exciting and rewarding. His resumé is impressive, having worked at some of the most prestigious international fashion houses before finally being afforded the opportunity by JS Group to develop THEIA, a label over which he had complete creative control.

Disappointingly, last year, he was let go from the brand he made famous.

This was as a result of a restructuring of the company brought about by the existential crisis facing the fashion industry amid lockdown restrictions.

As he focuses on the next chapter of his life, we take a look back at this fashion legend’s glittering career to date.

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 73

college

Don’s sister Deirdre models a coat from his 1987 Graduation Collection, on the rocks under his home in Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry

Barbara Bourke College of Fashion Design in Dublin

The career as a chef was to be short-lived.

While working at the Malt House, a popular Galway restaurant, Don spotted a fashion design contest in the Irish Independent and decided to enter. He hoped to win second prize, which was a Michael Mortell suit that he thought would look great on Deirdre.

However, to his surprise, he won first place, which gave him free tuition in the Barbara Bourke College of Fashion Design in Dublin. So, without further ado, he packed his bags and relocated to Dublin and was on the path to an exciting new career. He graduated with distinction and was awarded Designer of the Year by royal couturier Gina Fratini, who was so impressed with his talent that she offered him an internship. His final collection was displayed in the window of Brown Thomas.

74 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

above: The sketch that won Don a scholarship to the Barbara Bourke College of Fashion Design; above right: Don’s sister Deirdre models a dress from his 1987 Graduation Collection below: A sketch of a suit from the 1987 Graduation Collection, which was displayed in the window of Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, Dublin

fashion

One of Don’s designs for the Gina Fratini Autumn-Winter 1988 collection

london Donald Campbell

Don was then hired as an assistant by Canadian designer Donald Campbell, who had created Princess Diana’s honeymoon trousseau. From his boutiques in Chelsea and Knightsbridge, he dressed the British aristocracy in demi-couture evening gowns, elegant silk day dresses and smart, tailored suits. Don remained there for over two years perfecting his pattern-making skills.

Gina Fratini

An opportunity to apprentice with the fabled British ball-gown designer Gina Fratini saw Don move to London. She created some of the most sought-after eveningwear in the ’70s and ’80s, dressing everyone from members of the royal family, including Princess Diana, to Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor.

She took Don under her wing and allowed him to design several pieces during his internship that made it on to her collection.

Cotton and lurex brocade suit for The Dale Tyron Collection, Spring-Summer 1991

above: At Gina Fratini with Irish Models Tina Marren and Anne Marie Gannon

above: Donald Campbell, with his partner, Claudio Vera, celebrating their 50th anniversary, which Don and Pascal attended in London.

Dale Tryon

It wasn’t long before Don was headhunted by Lady Dale Tryon (also known as Kanga), a friend of Prince Charles, who ran the successful fashion line that produced floaty, colourful print dresses.

Kanga was the toast of London society and her label was hugely popular after Princess Diana wore one of her dresses to the Live Aid concert. Don’s role was to help her develop her couture line, The Dale Tryon Collection. left: Taroni silk crepe back satin gown for The Dale Tyron Collection, Spring-Summer 1991

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 75

Christy Turlington on the runway at the Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Show, Autumn-Winter 1993

paris

above: During the internship at Christian Lacroix: Don, Monsieur Lacroix and Lars Nilsson

Christian Dior and Christian Lacroix both offered Don internships for the winter of 1993. He chose to work with Lacroix, whose glamorous and flamboyant designs and dramatic runway shows would give him broad experience and the inspiration necessary to expand his vision and creativity as a designer. It was in Paris that he met his future husband, Pascal Guillermie.

right: Christian Lacroix Show: backstage with Yasmeen Ghauri

above: Boutique Christian Lacroix, Place Saint Sulpice, Paris, France

76 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

left: Christian Lacroix Show: backstage with Suzanne Von Aichinger; above: With his future husband, contemporary dancer Pascal Guillermie, whom he met in Paris

fashion

new york Carmen Marc Valvo

Winning a coveted Morrison visa, Don moved to New York in 1993, followed by Pascal in 1994. His first job was as an assistant designer with Carmen Marc Valvo, who is best known for his glamorous, feminine, and elegant eveningwear. Four years later he had progressed to creative director and Vice President and spent a further six years with the company.

One of Don’s first designs at Carmen Marc Valvo. A Duchess satin gown with detachable train, embroidered with metallic lasso cording. Modelled by actress, Ashley Judd.

Don pinning a dress on Taylor Foster, Carmen Marc Valvo’s long-time muse

Badgley Mischka

In 2005, Don received a call from JS Group offering him a position heading up the Badgley Mischka Platinum Label, a line based on the aesthetic of the brand, but at a slightly lower price point. His first collection was hugely successful. He spent three and a half years designing for the Platinum Label and in this time, he got to be part of their runway shows working closely with Mark Badgley and James Mischka. He also got to see his dresses

featured on the covers of many leading magazines and worn by stars such as Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman and Nicole Kidman.

Silk Ombré Gown for Badgley Mischka’s Spring 2008 collection

Don’s dresses, worn by Nicole Kidman and Carrie Underwood, in magazine features

theia

Such was his success at Badgley Mischka, JS Group asked Don to start up a new eveningwear collection, giving him creative freedom to develop the brand.

He chose the name THEIA, the Greek word for goddess, which he felt was an appropriate vision and theme for an evening wear company. It also worked well to demonstrate his philosophy as a designer, which is to ‘bring out the inner goddess in women, and empower them to be strong, confident and beautiful’.

The collection was available at Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue and over 450 fine speciality stores throughout the USA, Canada and around the world. Almost immediately a Bridal division was added, which grew to be very successful. THEIA was featured extensively in the media, in-

cluding The Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and gained a loyal following from celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Carrie Underwood, Angela Basset, Taylor Swift, Emmy Rossum and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, among many.

above: Hand embroidered off-the-shoulder crepe gown for the THEIA Couture Autumn 2020 Collection right: Printed chiffon and duchess satin gown with jet crystal bands, from the THEIA Autumn 2015 Collection, Inspired by Irish furniture maker Joseph Walsh

above: Floral printed chiffon gown from the THEIA Spring 2020 Collection

78 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

right: Don with his sister Deirdre wearing a THEIA metallic Jacquard party dress

fashion

right: Ballyheigue is always inspiring Don’s work. His niece Aoife wears the finale gown from his Autumn 2012 runway show. Inspired

by Athena, the Goddess of War with her loyal serpent coiled around her.

Photographed on the rocks beneath the family B&B, Aoife appears serendipitously to emerge from the mussels on the rocks, a fairy goddess appearing in Ballyheigue Bay. left: Metallic Gold silk mattelassé gown from the THEIA Couture Autumn 2020 Collection. Photo: Pawel Nowak

above: Floral printed charmeuse gown from the THEIA Resort 2020 Collection

A big step forward for inclusivity: disability advocate and model, Bri Scalesse became the star of the THEIA Fall 2020 Bridal show at New York Bridal Week. The wheels of her chair were decorated with flowers by Pascal, who also created the set for the show.

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 79

top left: The Spring 2018 mood board which inspired this original print, and the development of the 3D handembroidered folded paillette flowers; top right: Don’s original sketch; bottom: The printed zibeline dress that it became with inset detail of the ‘crumb-catcher’ neck - line, in which the 3D flowers nestled.

80 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

D E B O R A H J OYC E

Deborah’s original works are available at The Boathouse Gallery in Kinsale, Castlemartyr Gallery in Cork, Caffreys Gallery in Ballina. Limited edition prints are available from giftedfromireland.com, Westport Designs in Westport, Achill Top Drawer and Pantry, The Sheep and Wool Centre, Leenane and on the artist’s website.

deborahjoyce100@gmail.com I https://deborahjoyce.art I

Castlemartyr House

Gallery & Gifts MAIN STREET, CASTLEMARTYR www.castlemartyrhousegallerygifts.ie

Unique Gifts For All Occasions

Gallery Featuring Local Artists and Artists From Many Parts Of Ireland

T R ACY S W E E N E Y Bespoke Original Fine Art

Mayo, Ireland tracysweeney.com I +353 87 1275180

Workshops & Art Demos Ongoing Call Orla 086 3133 096

i

abroad spectrum words lisa o ’ brien

Irish designers making waves overseas

Ireland has a long-standing tradition of exporting some of its greatest talent, with some of our brightest minds seeking opportunities and experiences in pastures new. The contribution of the Irish diaspora to the economies and cultures of the various communities and countries where they settled is a defining element of our nation’s past and present.

Many creatives have a desire to seek new information, gain knowledge and explore novel possibilities.

Those who are willing to move out of their comfort zone and take a punt on moving abroad can face challenges and uncertainties that help them become more resilient and mature and, most importantly, allow them to see new possibilities in life.

In the following pages, we celebrate the amazing achievements of some of the Irish fashion designers who left Ireland to seek out success abroad and have gained global recognition for their work.

82 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

in London on Mount Street and her first USA store in Soho, New York in 2017.

Accolades have included British Fashion Awards for ‘Emerging Talent, Ready-toWear’ (2013), ‘The New Establishment Award’ (2014), ‘British Womenswear Designer Award’ (2016) and Harper’s Bazaar ‘Young Designer of the Year Award’ (2016).

Proud of her heritage, inspiration from Ireland and China as well as art, literature, nature and family, are reflected in her work. Her AW20 collection was inspired by John Millington Synge’s play, Riders to the Sea, which is about life on the Aran Islands.

For her SS21 collection, featured here, each look portrays its own story and takes us on a dreamlike journey: the essence of true escapism. Draped in an armour of pearls from headpieces to handbags, Simone Rocha has yet again won our hearts with this empowering, feminine collection.

Simone Rocha Simone started her career in fashion as a teenager, assisting her father, the cel-

at London Fashion Week the same year.

Since graduating, her brand has gone

ebrated Hong Kong-born, Dublin-based

from strength to strength and her

fashion designer, John Rocha, in his stu-

collections have gained her some of the

dio. She completed a BA at the National

most prestigious stockists in the world

College of Art and Design, Dublin, before

including Dover Street Market, Matches-

going on to further her studies at Cen-

fashion, Ikram, I.T, Bergdorf Goodman

tral Saint Martins, London. In 2010 she

and Saks Fifth Avenue. Her Irish stockist

showed her graduate collection at the

is Havana in Donnybrook, Dublin.

Tate Modern gallery and made her debut

In 2015 Simone opened her first store ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 85

SML London New kid on the block, Stephen McLaugh-

the American artist known for his raw

lin from Donegal, launched his label,

gestural style of painting in the 1980s.

SML London in late 2020. He studied at

Following his graduation in 2016,

Limerick School of Art and Design where

the talented young designer built up

his graduate collection was based on the

experience in luxury, ready-to-wear,

life and work of Jean-Michel Basquiat,

and accessory brands in London. He

worked with top Irish designer, Sharon Wauchob as well as House of Holland and J&M Davidson.

This Donegal exile has created a very clever business model. By crafting everything to order, the need for excess stock is eliminated and each garment is designed with a low-waste sustainable manufacturing principle. The pre-order custom SML service also allows the customer to switch up the colour and fabric of the chosen design.

SML has created an exciting, new sustainable brand, made up of timeless silhouettes; an ode to elegance and class.

We look forward to seeing what Stephen brings to his future collections.

86 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

style is distinguished by a unique experimental use of materials and fabrics combined with solid tailoring. Sharon moved back to London in 2016 and launched her menswear collection in Spring 2019.

For her most recent collection, featured here, Sharon looked to her own archive for inspiration to reignite stories and tales from past collections. She reworked and refined old shapes using some rare, luxurious fabrics amassed during her time in Paris. Through her collaboration with Bulgari, pieces from the brand’s Heritage Collection complimented the garments and certainly added a touch of glitz.

Sharon Wauchob Hailing from the village of Newtown-

went with him where she worked on his

stewart, County Tyrone, Sharon Wau-

fabric developments and collections.

chob has brought an unconventional

She then went on to work as a de-

edge to the world of contemporary

signer at Louis Vuitton before starting

luxury design. Shortly after graduating

her eponymous line in Paris in 1999. Her

from Central Saint Martins, London, the

collection was first shown on the official

avant-garde Japanese designer, Koji

Paris Fashion Week calendar in 2003

Tatsuno asked her to join his Notting

and she is one of the few Irish designers

Hill atelier. When he moved to Paris, she

to have achieved such an accolade. Her ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 89

Patricia’s Performance o words edel cassidy

The Irish violinist who performed for President Biden on his Inauguration Day the counties of his ancestors were represented at a private Mass for the Biden family on the morning of the inauguration ceremony. Leading Irish violinist Patricia Treacy from Blackrock in County Louth was invited to play at the Mass and chose to play Proclamation, composed by Patrick Cassidy who originally hails from Mayo. Patrick composed Proclamation for the 1916 Centenary and Patricia had performed it when President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath to honour those who fought and died in the Rising at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin.

The invitation came directly to Patricia Treacy from the Biden family. She played for the then vice-president when he visited his ancestral home in Louth in 2016.

She has since played for him on a number of occasions, including at his official residence when he was vice-president, and also at some of the Biden rallies during the presidential campaign.

For the Inauguration Day performance, Patricia stunned in a blue couture gown from Dimitra’s, Chicago, designed by New York-based Alex Tieh, who is known for his chic, modern, and elegant dresses. The dress was complemented by exquisite diamonds and sapphires from Beverly Hills jeweller, Martin Katz. above: Patricia wore diamonds and sapphires provided by Martin Katz, valued at $3 million; right: Rehearsing at the historic Old St. Patrick’s Church, Chicago

J

oseph R Biden, the 46th President of the United States, is deeply proud of his Irish roots which can be traced back to the Blewitts from County Mayo and the

Finnegans from County Louth. His great-great-grandfather Patrick Blewitt, who was born in Ballina, Mayo, in 1832, left Ireland in 1850 and settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Biden’s other great-great-grandfather was Owen Finnegan, from the Cooley Peninsula in Louth, who moved to America in the late 1840s and settled in Seneca, New York.

The President has made a point of honouring his Irish roots throughout his life and career and his Inauguration Day on 20 January was no exception. It was fitting that 90 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

music

e of a Lifetime Antonio Stradivari in his workshop in Cremona

‘Every Stradivari has a story to tell and each instrument has charted its own unique journey that adds to its wonder and mystique’ The violin takes its name from Richard Blagrove (1826/27–1895), who belonged to a prominent English family of musicians and owned the violin during the late 1800s. In a 1926 letter to American collector, Robert A Bower, the dealer Alfred Hill describes knowing the violin as: ‘… an old friend of our firm, it having passed through our hands after diverse intervals during the last forty years … The fiddle has much to commend it, more especially its fine quality of tone.’

Bower was no stranger to fine instruments, having handled such masterpieces as the ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivari of 1721 and the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ by another renowned Italian instrument maker, Giuseppe Guarneri.

Stradivari violin loaned for inauguration

He sold the ‘Blagrove’ in 1926 to a clergyman by the name of Reverend W.H. Cullin. It was sold next by the English dealer,

A rare Stradivari violin was loaned by

Ralph Powell, and featured in a 1943

Bein and Co. Rare Violins, Chicago,

article in The Strad magazine. By 1958

for Patricia’s performance during

the Stradivari had made its way to the

President Biden’s inaugural Mass. The

firm William Lewis & Sons in Chicago

violin was made by the legendary

and was purchased by the avid violin

Antonio Stradivari’s son, Omobono.

collector and violinist, Harry R Lange. It

Antonio Stradivari crafted violins and other stringed instruments in

was then owned for a time by another well-known connoisseur and collec-

Cremona, Italy in the late 1600s and early 1700s. He is regarded as the greatest violin maker of all time and the value of his instruments reflect

left: The ‘Blagrove’ Omobono Stradivari; below: The original, undisturbed Stradivari label within the ‘Blagrove’

that illustrious status. He worked with two of his sons, Francesco and Omobono, and today over 600 instruments from the Stradivari workshop survive.

Every Stradivari has a story to tell and each instrument has charted its own unique journey that adds to its wonder and mystique. All of these celebrated

tor, William Rodewald, who is famously the namesake and

instruments have a unique name, generally indicative of

previous owner of the 1713 ‘Viotti, Rodewald’ Stradivari vi-

a performer, owner, collector, or physical feature of the

olin. In 1963, Rodewald sold the ‘Blagrove’ to the American

instrument. The ‘Blagrove’ Omobono Stradivari, played at

concertmaster Jesse Ceci.

the inauguration, was made circa 1705–08 during Antonio

Ceci kept his beloved Stradivari in his possession until

Stradivari’s coveted Golden Period. It is the most highly

his death in 2006. A few years later the violin was once

celebrated and historically significant of the fifteen known

again back in Chicago and was sold by Joseph Bein to the

violins made by Omobono. His working life, along with

current owner who has dutifully cared for it and maintained

his brother Francesco, was almost exclusively dedicated

the violin’s excellent condition. Valued now at just under $4

to assisting his father and it was very rarely that the sons

million, the ‘Blagrove’ is once again for sale at Bein and Co.

were permitted to make violins on their own.

Rare Violins, Chicago. beinandcompany.com ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 91

Taste of Home

Flogas is delighted to be partnering with Kevin Dundon of Dunbrody House Hotel to bring you this delicious easy dinner menu, full of locallysourced ingredients and perfect for summer evenings

B E ET R O OT, B LU E C H E E S E SA L A D (Serves 4) (Remove the bacon to make this salad a vegetarian course!)

1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for the dressing 200g streaky bacon, chopped 1-2 shallots, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 2 cooked beetroots, cut into wedges 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp mixed seeds 200g fresh salad leaves 50g Cashel Blue cheese, crumbled into pieces.

Salt & pepper Kevin Dundon

Place a sauté pan over medium heat and drizzle some olive oil. Add the bacon and cook for a minute or so. Add the shallot and garlic and continue to cook for a further minute.

Add the beetroot to the pan and drizzle some balsamic vinegar over. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a bowl, add the salad leaves, seeds and season well. Add the cooled beetroot mixture and toss to combine.

Check the seasoning, transfer into serving bowls and add the blue cheese.

92 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

food

P E A R A N D R AS P B E R RY B A K E W E L L TA RT (Serves 6) 300g sweet pastry or sweet shortcrust pastry 100g softened butter 100g icing sugar 100g ground almonds 25g cornflour 2 large eggs 50g flaked almonds 4 pears, halved 100g raspberry jam First, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Prepare an 8” tart tin by lightly greasing and line with the pastry. Carefully press into the edges and trim. Spread the raspberry jam on the tart base and place in the fridge until needed.

To continue, make the frangipane. Place the butter, sugar, ground almonds, cornflour and eggs into a bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth in texture. Pour the mixture over the pastry, and place the halved pears on top. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

G R I L L E D C H I C K E N B U R G E R (Serves 4) 4 chicken fillets, butterflied 2 tbsp oil 1 chilli flakes, chopped 100g mayonnaise

Place in a preheated oven at 180C/350F for 30–40 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove the Bakewell tart from the oven and set aside to cool for five minutes.

Sprinkle with icing sugar or glaze with some warmed apricot jam.

Serve still warm or at room temperature.

2 garlic cloves 2 tbsp oregano leaves, roughly chopped 1 shallot, chopped 1 lime juice 200g cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 red onion, chopped 80g baby salad leaves 4 burger buns Salt and pepper Heat a griddle pan to a medium heat.

Drizzle the chicken fillet pieces with oil and place the chicken fillet on the grill. Cook for 4–6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Season well with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.

Remove from the griddle pan and rest for 1–2 minutes.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, shallots, garlic, herbs, and lime.

Toast the burger buns.

When ready, spread some mayonnaise mixture on the buns and add some cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, salad leaves and add the grilled chicken and burger bun.

Enjoy immediately!

ANTHOLOGY SPRING 2021 93

The Great Unknown Strategies to understand and overcome the fear of the unknown words dolores o ’ donoghue

W

e humans are generally crea-

can I do to solve or cope with the prob-

adrenaline can have negative effects on

tures of habit and seek comfort

lems and uncertainty that I’m facing?’

our bodies.

in regular rituals such as eating

It’s always a good idea to get off to a

Exercise can also distract from worries

identical breakfasts every day, doing the

good start each day, so each morning,

and improve confidence, which is often

same grocery shop at the same store week

consider tackling a task or activity that

negatively affected by anxiety.

in and week out, sticking with a tried and

gives an upbeat feeling.

Eat to Heal

trusted hairstyle and dress style, and take

Melt your worries away by doing a

comfort in drinking from a favourite mug.

good deed for someone else. An act of

A balanced diet, staying hydrated and lim-

kindness is not only hugely beneficial to

iting or avoiding alcohol and caffeine can

control, and routine establishes safety

the receiver but it can also bestow great

help relieve anxiety. Whole grains, vege-

and predictability. For some, any small

benefits on the giver. The concept of the

tables, and fruits are a much healthier op-

irregularity can cause agitation, such

‘helpers’ high’ is now recognised as being

tion than eating the simple carbohydrates

as when the supermarket re-arranges

an important element of well-being, as

found in processed and fast foods.

the aisles. But when life throws a major

it increases the production of serotonin,

Having regular meal times is recom-

curveball, it can lead to stress, anxiety

commonly known as the ‘happy chemi-

mended as, when meals are planned, it is

and depression.

cal’ that provides healing and calm.

more likely that they will be wholesome

When things go as planned we feel in

We can’t avoid the unexpected. But

and nutritious, which is beneficial for

these simple tips can help in facing life’s

Engage in Self-care

uncertainties:

For parents, business owners, educators

result in a drop in blood sugar causing

and care workers, self-care and care of

the body to produce more adrenaline to

others can be a difficult balancing act. Self-

cope, which can increase anxiety.

Practice Acceptance

overall health. Don’t skip meals, as it may

Acceptance is about meeting the reality

care includes all the things necessary for

of a situation in the present moment and

well-being in four key dimensions – emo-

Sleep Well

allows us to move forward, rather than

tional, physical, psychological and spiritual

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential

remaining paralysed by fear. It will not

health. This is essential for managing

as it enables the body to repair and be fit

make the uncertainty go away, but it will

stress, preventing burnout and mitigating

to face another day. Anxiety can cause

save time and energy in not striving to

compassion fatigue – all common occupa-

serious sleep issues resulting in exhaus-

control the uncontrollable.

tional hazards for caring individuals.

tion and fatigue. In her book, The Sleep

It must be emphasised that accept-

It is vitally important that we take

Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One

ance is not the same as resignation.

time out to take stock of our own needs,

Night at a Time, Arianna Huffington

Accepting a situation doesn’t mean that

health and goals.

points out that sleep deprivation is hav-

it will never get better. We don’t accept that things will always stay the same; we

Infuse the Day with Physical Activity

just learn to become present-focused.

What is commonly known as ‘runner’s

Focus on the Positive

high’ describes the release of endorphins

ing devastating effects on our health, our job performance, our relationships and our happiness.

The key to a good night’s sleep is rou-

that the brain experiences when engag-

tine. It is best to go to bed and wake up

When the mind and body are racing, it is

ing in physical activity. Regular exercise

at the same time each day. Good sleep

only natural to concentrate on the stress-

also helps balance the body’s level of

helps with psychological functioning,

ors and wonder how to deal with them.

stress hormones, such as adrenaline.

including improved emotional regulation,

A better approach is to think about your

This plays a crucial role in fight-or-flight

better cognitive functioning and en-

strengths and resources and ask, ‘What

responses, but persistent surges of

hanced attention span and memory.

94 SUMMER 2020 ANTHOLOGY

health

‘When things go as planned we feel in control, and routine establishes safety and predictability.’

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2020 95

Creative Awards

poetry prize 2020

WINNER

anthology poetry award Congratulations to Sighle Meehan, winner of the Anthology Poetry Award

Her Dul Abhaile Jar sighle meehan

A scullery maid in Boston’s grand hotels, memories sloshing in her bucket.

Carna, a seaweed shore, brown waves pestering a pebble beach coaxing her to stay, while out beyond the sandbanks, infinity, baiting her sixteen years, sea and sky colluding a line where hunger did not pepper every day.

photo ros woodham

She sends money home, saves quarters even dollars in her dul abhaile jar, and then a man who makes her laugh, sings with her, songs of Carna, fishing nets and mackerel, potato patches, blackberries small and bitter – a September feast.

Eleven Christenings, nine First Communions, tablets for a husband out of work, the dul abhaile jar grows thin; school-books, weddings, still she saves, nickel and dime, the years veining her legs, her fingers stiff, contrary, her feet in wide-fit, worn-down gutties she searches Boston sidewalks for eggs the yellow hen lays out beyond the yard in Carna. dul abhaile: going home Carna: an Irish speaking village on the west coast of Ireland

Sighle Meehan’s writing reflects her background in theatre, her love of stories, her interest in children and her life beside the sea in Galway.

Although she mainly writes poetry, she has also written plays, a TV dramadocumentary and short stories.

Her poetry has been published in Poetry Ireland Review, Fish Anthology, The Stinging Fly, Skylight 47, Pandemia, Best British and Irish Poets 2019 (Eyewear), and Universal Oneness (New Delhi).

Sighle was the winner of the Imbas (Australia) short story competition (2015-2016) for Hawthorne Close

poetry

anthology poetry award 2020 Highly Commended Anne Casey (Australia) for Season of Brigid • Dean Gessie (Canada) for normative expectations • Mary K O'Melveny (USA) for Perturbances

Shortlisted Alix Ealas (Scotland) for Bright White Kitchen • B. Lynch Black (USA) for On the Highway of In-Between • Bridget Frost (Scotland) forAfter Rothko • Carmina Masoliver (England) for Trapeze Bars • Christa de Brun (Ireland) for Crossword • Christian Wethered (Ireland) for Call • Kieran Furey (Ireland) for Yet More Advice for Poets • Laura Shore (Australia) Persimmon • Sidney Denham-Roberts (Australia) for One Day • Val Ormrod (England) for The Gathering We wish to thank all those who entered the Anthology Poetry Award. We would also like to thank our hardworking independent judge, Dr Rachael Hegarty, who carefully read and assessed each entry to select the shortlist, the highly commended poets and the overall winner.

Entries are now invited for the Anthology Poetry Award 2021 For further information or to enter the competition visit anthology-magazine.com/poetry-prize

ANTHOLOGY SUMMER 2021 97

John Nolan A Celebration of Colour

D

ublin artist John Nolan has created a very unique way to continue his popular art classes during lockdown. He has made a series of videos, which are step-by-step painting tutorials. The goal was to make the virtual experience as close to the actual classes in his studio as possible, with no time pressure. They take students gradually through the process and can be paused, reversed or watched as many times as is required.

For those interested in signing up,

98 SUMMER 2021 ANTHOLOGY

there are a selection of paintings to choose from. For each painting chosen, there are a series of videos, normally lasting two hours in total per painting, which is the same duration as the real-time classes in John’s studio.

Every step is explained thoroughly, from the mixing of colours on the palette to the application of paint. The complete set of video tutorials for each painting is available for just €20 and this includes support for Q and A through a Whatsapp group.

John Nolan’s work is featured on the front cover of Edna O’Brien’s recent book, James and Nora. The book is a lyrical portrait of the relationship between the greatest Irish writer of the 20th century, James Joyce, and Nora Barnacle, who he married and was devoted to. It is a passionate, short and goodhumoured account of their marriage.

The portrait is from John’s stylised Homage Series, which pays homage to great artists and writers. This image was also published in Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks, edited by Fintan O’Toole. It was also exhibited in The Hammer Museum in California, during their Blooms Day Celebrations in June 2017. Prints and greeting cards of the image are available in The Hugh Lane Gallery shop, in Dublin, and from the artist.

John’s Homage Series has garnered huge international interest. His Homage to Vincent Van Gogh was exhibited in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2019. This was a particularly poignant honour for John, as his father introduced him to Van Gogh’s paintings when he was just eight years old.

For further information: john@nolanart.com | nolanart.com

awards

Anthology

Poetry Award 2021 Entries are now invited for the Anthology Poetry Award 2021. Established to recognise and encourage excellence in the craft of poetry writing and to provide a platform for publication, it is open to original and previously unpublished poems in the English language. Entries are invited from poets of all nationalities, living anywhere in the world. Poems submitted must be on the theme of ‘Freedom’ and should not exceed 40 lines. There is no limit to entries per person.

The winner will receive a €500 cash prize and the chance to see their work published in a future issue of Anthology. The winner will also receive a one year subscription to Anthology.

Submission deadline and entry fees: Early Bird: 31 July 2021 – €10 per poem Deadline: 31 October 2021 – €15 per poem For further information or to enter the competition visit: anthology-magazine.com/poetry-prize

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